Puss in Boots: How the legend came to be
by Da'SaVage-Tiger
Summary: You may have wondered about the young Puss in Boots during his youth and earlier years. Who was his first love? How did he get into his flirting ways? How did he learn how to use a sword? This dramatic and heroic tale, explains just how everyone's favorite feline came to be. And the amazing story he has to tell. Rated T for sug. themes, violence, and romance. (ON TEMPORARY HIATUS!)
1. Prologue

**Here it is, the big story as I promised! Chapter 1 may seem boring, but be patient with me here. I will be getting to the good parts soon in future chapters, and the action, don't worry. Like every good story, (In my opinion) the action does not ALWAYS begin at the ****beginning, it works its way their. Anyway, this chapter is based on how Puss was found, and goes through a brief amount of Imelda's point of view. (I know, sounds boring) But please, be patient with me.**

**I want to explain a few thing before you start to read this, however:**

**1\. I am not a perfect writer. I do not write the best way, and I may make spelling and grammar mistakes in this, which I know because I have caught some myself, and corrected them. If you find any, please let me know! **

**2\. This is a fast paced story. This is important to note, because there will be constant time gaps in the story, up until I reach the Puss in Boots we know today.**

**3\. This chapters will be remastered eventually. Meaning I will look back, and try to make them better when I have spare time later. I started this story many months ago, when I had just joined Fan fiction, so some of the early chapters may not be or look the best.**

**Despite this, REVIEWS are much appreciated! ;) Enjoy****!**

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Chapter 1: Prologue

Thunder clouds covered the night skies of San Ricardo, as heavy rain beat down on the small town. Thunder rumbled loudly, followed by an occasional flash of lightning, as the rain continued to fall. The four guard towers were lit with only a few candles, or lanterns, which were put out continually by the rain and whistling winds, as guards struggled to keep them lit. They wore cloaks, and were armed with crossbows and swords, scouting for any trouble in the dark night. San Ricardo was small, so it was pretty easy to see if anything was happening. But the guards had to be alert. If the English or French tried to start a raid on the little town, the citizens had to be warned about it the minute it started, so that way they could escape in time.

Meanwhile, guards patrolled the streets, holding a lantern as they walked along the damp road. All of the citizens were in at this time of the day, for obvious reasons.

Expect for the naughty children at the orphanage of course…..

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Imelda peeked open the door to check on the children, whom she expected to see still up. But to her relief, they all slept soundly, a candle lit by each of their bed stands. The distance sound of their breathing was the only sound she could hear in the room, followed by the occasional shuffle of their blankets. It was a peaceful sight to Imelda, seeing the children enjoying a good night's rest. They had needed it after the long day they had spent, playing various games outside together.

She closed the door lightly, careful not to cause a distraction to them.

But she still had to check B wing. They were the worst of the children. Always staying up too late, bullying other people, harassing the guards, and being completely disobedient and just plain rude.

Imelda loved all the children at the orphanage, but if these kids were ever going to be adopted, they needed to stop acting like a pack of wild horses and start acting like civilized young people!

Imelda sighed, knowing what she'd find as she walked down the hall towards the double doors of B wing. The other caretakers were making the beds for other children or adjusting the windows so the rain wouldn't get in. One picked up wooden toys off the floor while another cleaned up a table that looked as if it had been plagued by barbarians.

Imelda reached the double doors finally, taking a deep breath before opening the doors.

No surprise to her, the children were all up, laughing and jumping on their beds while others gazed out the window, pointing at lightning strikes that soared through the sky. Even though it may not have looked that bad, it sounded loud.

Imelda walked into the room, hands on her hips as she gave the children a stern look. "Children, it's time for bed!" she called to them, trying to get their attention.

She received a group of groans and moans of sadness from the children, as they turned their attention to her.

"Do we have to?" one moaned.

"I don't want to go to sleep yet!" another whined.

"Please, just 5 more minutes." One boy begged.

Imelda didn't want to discourage them, but at the same time, she couldn't let them control her.

"I already gave you ten minutes extra, now off to bed!" Imelda told them firmly.

"Please?" The boy begged again. "We promise to go right to bed right afterwards! Promise."

Imelda sighed with distress at this, and rolled her eyes. She found herself not being able to turn away their pleas.

Not a minute longer!" Imelda said with a shake of her finger, sending cheers of joy from the children.

"But I need you all to promise Aunt Imelda that you'll stay very quiet, so your friends can sleep. Imelda told them crossly.

"We promise," The children said in unison.

And with that, she exited B wing, closing the door behind her.

"A bunch of little Diablos aren't they?" One of the caretakers said amusingly as Imelda started to help her make a bed.

Imelda chuckled at this. "Every child just needs patience and love, and they will do just fine." Imelda insisted as she added the finishing touches to the bed.

"If you say so," The caretaker replied doubtfully, as she walked away from her.

Suddenly, a rapid knock sounded from the door, grabbing Imelda and the other caretakers' attention.

"Is that the patrol already?" One of the caretakers asked in confusion.

Imelda started toward the main door cautiously, reaching for the door knob slowly.

She opened the door a crack, until she noticed that there was no one there. "Hola?" Imelda's voice echoed as she stepped onto the stone patio. She glanced from side to side into the darkness, but could see no sign of whom or what it could have been.

But she could hear a faint mewling sound below her, almost like a cry. Imelda looked down at the ground in front of her, gasping once she saw what it was. There was little carriage on the ground, with a little ginger kitten in it, crying for milk as it swiped at the air in front of it, as if expecting to get it from thin air.

"Oh my lord," Imelda said with delight as she knelt down at the little bundle of fur.

The other caretakers had gathered at the door behind her, wondering what all the fuss was about. "What is it?" One of them asked impatiently.

Imelda picked up the basket by the handle, carefully stroking the kitten as she held it up for the others to see, causing gasps of delight to erupt from the caretakers.

"It's a gift from god," Imelda cried as she brought the basket inside.

"He's adorable!" One of the caretakers cried joyfully as they brought him inside.

"Who's the owner?" Another asked, peering into the darkness again.

"I do not know." Imelda said with equivalent wonder as she examined the little kitten. "But I don't think he will be coming back," Imelda remarked as she gazed outside.

"Imelda, you do realize we are going to have to find a home for him, Si?" A caretaker asked her.

But Imelda felt as if she could never leave this little lump of fur. There was something about him that made her not want to leave him, as if she were his mother…. Imelda had always wanted a child of her own. Surely she was allowed to own an animal?

"I think he will do right here," Imelda said, gazing into the little kittens green eyes.

"Humph!" One of the caretakers grunted. "That just adds one more mouth to feed."

"Well I'll risk it," Imelda countered, suddenly defensive for the kitten. "He belongs right here," she added warmly, scratching the little kitten on the head, making him purr lightly.

And so began the story of Puss in Boots...

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**And that's the ****prologue. Again, I know it may seem boring, but PLEASE be patient. The next chapter discusses a small part of Puss' childhood, but will eventually get into the action in later chapters. (And romance. "Meow") I promise you will not be disappointed next chapter.**

**In Chapter 2: Puss is now 12 years old, just becoming a young male cat. He enjoys the friendship of his best and most favored friend, Humpty Alexander Dumpty, but soon gets into trouble with him after discovering a fairy tale too good to be true. (Chapter is mostly humorous, near the end)**


	2. Friendship Blues

**Here's chapter two of the big story... You should expect this chapter to be humorous, with a few hints of romance in it. (*Meow*) I'm surprised I managed to get this chapter done so early. I guess that the advantages of the weekend huh? (More writing, and more writing ;D) Anyway, i hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**PLEASE review and tell me what you guys think of the story so far! **

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12 years later….

The kitten soon grew into a fine young cat, although it hadn't always been smooth through a good amount of his childhood. He had even made a friend, Humpty Alexander Dumpty, whom had given him his name, Puss. The two had somewhat of a bond, looking out for each other almost brotherly like, as they grew up together.

Puss sat on the end of one of beds in the orphanage, watching the children play through the window. He could see the few clouds drifting through the sky, the rest of it, clear as the ocean blue. A flock of birds flew by the window, forming a prefect V shape in the sky.

He had been feeling lonely as a ghost, with just about nothing to do in this place. All he had was a tangled up ball of yarn, which he had had ever sense he was a kitten.

And he didn't feel in the mood to be playing with the other children or Humpty. Besides, the other children didn't care about him, as Puss had been teased by them as a young kitten. Even though Humpty had been a great and supporting friend to him, playing with the same person all day had bored Puss, though he didn't want to hurt his friend's feelings by saying this.

He wanted a friend that was like him, a cat. But where would he ever hope to find someone like that? There was a fat chance that another cat would be adopted by the orphanage, and not only that, he wasn't even allowed beyond the front yard of the orphanage!

Why did Imelda have to be so over secure of him like this? He wasn't a kitten anymore!

Puss sat up from the bed, as he quietly leapt onto the wooden floor.

He took a quick glance, to make sure Imelda wasn't watching, before padding over to the doorway.

To his satisfaction, the doorway opened as one of the older children walked through the door, allowing him to easily slip through before it closed.

He ran across the front yard until he reached a small, moss covered boulder on a patch of hilly ground.

Puss had found this rock as a kitten, which was one of his favorite places to go to think, even though it was getting too big to fit all of him on it at once.

He leapt up onto the boulder, kneading the moss with his claws briefly, before settling on top of it comfortably.

His could see the few of the town houses below from here, watching a few occasional guards walk by, their pikes and flintlocks readied for trouble.

Gunpowder had just recently become a new invention, and was extremely expensive to buy in the market from the way Puss had heard it. This meant that guards rarely used muskets or flintlocks because of its price and rarity.

Traders often came by, who sometimes shared stories with the children about legends, fairy tales, or exotic goods. He liked listening to their stories, though one in particular caught his interest: The capital.

He had heard all about the fantasies of Madrid and about how it was where the Queen and the richest people lived, showered with gold each day.

Puss had believed that it actually showered gold when he was a kitten, but soon found out it was merely a saying as he grew up.

The traders were what Puss was watching out for right now, looking out for the large horses they used as portable carriers. But for the moment, there were no merchants in sight.

Puss was about to leap down, until he noticed something in the distance.

It was a little white shape, which Puss had almost mistaken for a lamb, until he saw the tail.

It was beautiful, white she cat, chasing a butterfly.

Puss could not help starting at her, his attentive green gaze fixed on her.

He couldn't believe his luck, another cat!

Puss looked back at the orphanage, than back at the white cat. She wasn't far from the yard.

Maybe Imelda would make an exception about this…..

Puss started down the hill, not waiting to think about it.

He could feel himself gaining speed as the sea breeze blew through his fur, ruffling it as he trotted down the hill.

He was close now…. So close Puss could almost pick up her sweet smelling scent.

Suddenly, his legs gave in under him, making him tumble down the hill clumsily, as he struggled to get a grip with his little claws. His claws only harmlessly sliced through the blades of grass, as he flew through the air, and hit the ground hard.

The impact made him dizzy, as his blurred vision gradually came back to him.

He couldn't figure out why it was so dark…. Until he found himself staring under his legs, his tail twitching lightly.

A soft voice sounded behind him.

"Hello? Are you okay?"

Puss shook himself into reality, now realizing the awkward position he was in, as he scrambled up clumsily from the ground.

He blushed with embarrassment once he noticed the white she cat staring at him. Amusement twinkled in her eyes, as she stared at him. "Are you okay?"

"Uh… yeah!" Puss quickly gave himself a frantic groom, trying his best to smoothen all his ruffled fur, but with little success.

They both seemed quiet, until she spoke up anxiously. "My name is Cloud. What's yours?"

It took Puss a moment to realize she was asking him a question.

"Puss," He replied, still anxious about meeting this new cat.

"Well Puss, that was a funny way of saying hello back there." She told him amusingly.

Puss blushed again at this, before replying. "Yeah, I tend to not be very good at that."

Cloud giggled at this. "I'm nervous about meeting new people too, don't worry about it."

She padded up to him, until she was inches from his face, than started to sniff he cautiously.

"Are you new around here? I don't think I've seen you around here before." Cloud remarked.

Puss looked back at the orphanage, his ears drooping with shame. He didn't want her to think he was a loner, with absolutely no friends or a family. (Otherwise think badly of him) But he felt he couldn't lie to her, if they were going to be friends at all.

Cloud looked in the direction of where he was gazing, and then noticed his expression. "Hey, don't feel bad. I understand what it's like to have no family, trust me."

A feeling of sadness seemed to emit from her, before her expression changed.

"I lived at an orphanage once too, until I ran away."

Puss' ears stood up at this.

He could never run away from this orphanage! He loved Imelda, even if she was hard on him at certain parts. So how could Cloud?

"You did?" Puss found the courage to ask. Cloud nodded.

"Then I found this family, were I live with my two sisters now."

"You must really like it here." Puss told her.

"I do." Cloud admitted. "Although there are a few things that could be better around here."

She seemed anxious as she talked, as if Cloud had wanted to say something to him.

"Are you okay?" Puss asked her, hoping he hadn't asked the wrong question.

But she ignored him, glaring past him at something or someone.

Puss turned around to find a grey, tom padding toward them, a smug expression on his face.

Cloud hissed at him as he approached them. "What do you want Clovis?"

The grey cat just sat down in front of them and started grooming himself briefly, as if he could come and go as he pleased.

"I just noticed you had a new, "friend" and wanted to give him a friendly greeting. There's nothing wrong with being friendly is there now?" The grey cat said with another smirk, as he sat up from the ground.

For once, Puss actually noticed how plump and fattened up Clovis had looked, as he lifted his belly off the ground.

"You been good to Cloud lately?" Clovis growled as he leaned towards Puss, his fur bristling.

Puss looked at Clovis, than back at Cloud in confusion, starting to think he understood the situation, as he backed away slowly. "Oh, I didn't know you two were…"

Cloud tried to defuse the situation. "We're not-"

"That's right, we are." Clovis interrupted, his fur bristling again. "And if you're trying to flirt with her, then you're going to have to get through me."

"And if you do…."

Clovis leaned closer to him again, so close Puss could feel his hot breath on his face. "You're going to wish I was never born." He growled.

"We're just friends," Puss claimed innocently.

Clovis didn't seem convinced. "Right, that's what all those male cats say. Well here's news for you, she's mine."

"Clovis, go be a jerk somewhere else! Nobody wants you here, and in fact, I NEVER will!" Cloud said firmly, anger burning in her glaring eyes. "Now leave Puss alone! We're only friends, why do you have to act so territorial over me?"

Clovis just kept the same smug expression as he turned to pad away, but wasn't finished.

"You say that now, but I know you love me. The day will come when you will become my mate, just you wait Cloud." Clovis claimed, finally turning to leave.

"Dream on, Fatty!" Cloud called after him.

"What's his problem?" Puss asked, also watching him depart.

"His problem is that he has a stupid obsession with me, and that he can't stop trying to impress me." Cloud snorted. "When I was talking about some problems, I mostly meant him."

"Are you okay now?" Puss asked her, suddenly feeling concerned for Cloud.

Cloud gazed into Puss' eyes. "Si, I'm just fine."

For some reason, Puss couldn't take him gaze off her, still staring into her blue eyes.

Cloud finally spoke up, breaking the awkward silence.

"What's with the stare?" she asked, giggling a little bit.

"You have very pretty eyes," Puss blurted out. He blushed with embarrassment, now realizing what he had just said, as he did a silent facepalm in his head.

"What are you, stupid?" he thought to himself.

Cloud giggled nervously again. "Ummm…. Thanks I guess?"

"You're welcome I guess?" Puss replied, making them both chuckle and smile lightly at each other.

That's when a yelp of pain erupted from her, as she struggled to balance on one of her forelegs, which she had picked up from the ground.

Puss quickly padded up to her, startled at the sudden outburst. "What's wrong?"

Cloud showed him her left foreleg. "I think there's something in my paw, but I can't reach it!"

That's when Puss saw the little thorn stuck in her paw.

He took a step forward from behind, as she stuck out her back paw for him to see. He gripped the little thorn in his teeth, then pulled back slightly, making her let out a small yelp, signaling that he had gotten rid of it.

"Ow! That hurt!" Cloud complained.

But her complaint died down, as she felt a slight wet feel where the thorn used to be.

Behind her, Puss had been grooming her paw with his tongue, until she finally signaled that he was good.

"Thank you," Cloud told him gratefully, as she put her paw back down.

But then she felt a paw on her back, followed by the presence of Puss against her from behind.

"What are you doing back their?" Cloud asked amusingly, trying to glance back at him. "I hope you aren't trying anything."

Puss had started grooming her fur, making sure that each little strand was smooth, just as he had done with her paw.

She felt alarmed at first, but her fur soon started to lie flat again, as she started to purr lightly.

He kept one paw on her back, as he started to groom the top of her head.

For some strange reason, Cloud had felt comfortable while he washed her, as if he wasn't the strange cat she had meant 10 minutes ago, but a friend.

He finally finished grooming her, as he slipped off the top of her.

Her tail went down again, as she turned to face him again.

"I hope I didn't creep you out or anything," Puss told Cloud.

This time, it was Cloud who blushed at this. "No, not really. I actually liked it, I thought it was nice of you." She replied, giving him a lick on the ear.

Puss finally found the courage to ask. "Cloud, are we…. You know, friends?"

Cloud brushed her muzzle against his briefly. "Of course we-"

They were both interrupted, when a voice sounded from up the hill. "Puss! Puss where are you?"

With a drop of his ears, Puss realized who it was. Imelda.

"Who's that?" Cloud asked.

Puss sighed with frustration. "My mother, well, my foster mother." He explained.

"I'm sorry but I have to go. I think I'm in trouble."

Puss turned to run up the hill, as Cloud stared after him, a longing look in her eyes as he darted away.

Even as she watched him, she hadn't realized just how deeply she would come to care for him in the years to come, as a new strong friendship began…. Followed by a new light shining in the distance.

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**Another Chapter, done by your's truly. I must admit, it was a big change for me, starting from young Puss' point of veiw, from his usual seductive personality, but I think I am doing well on that. Again, you may not see the action until chapter 4, but be patient. **

**Chapter 3 preview: Now restricted to the inside of the ****orphanage, Puss converses with his best friend, Humpty, who gives him a mischievous idea to try and get something they longed to find through their early childhood, only to find himself in more trouble.**


	3. The Gourmet

**Here is chapter 3! I am very sorry for the long delay, and I know it is boring, but the action parts will come, be patient. However this chapter will be very humorous, and i think readers will find it that way too. Enjoy!**

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"Puss, you know the rules I give you are very serious, and I expect you to see them that way!" Imelda was just telling him sternly.

"I only went like two feet down the hill! It's not a big deal…." Puss countered.

"It is Puss. There is a very good reason I ask you not to go beyond the orphanage hill, you know that!" Imelda said firmly.

Puss looked up at her innocently. "I only wanted a friend," he replied quietly.

"A friend? You already have so many friends all around you, and what about Humpty? You always played with him all the time, what about him?" Imelda asked.

"I thought you said you didn't want us playing together," Puss pointed out.

"What?"

Puss gave her an amused look. "Imelda, you don't remember the beans?"

"Oh… I almost forgot about that time," Imelda replied, remembering it all now.

He and Humpty had always gotten into trouble as little kids, after hearing about the legend of the magic beans, which had gotten them excited into believing that the beans could be any rare kind that they find. The one time Puss was recalling, was the time Puss had fried the Captain of the Guard's beard with his own cooked beans, nearly turning Puss into a roasted cat in the process. After that little incident, Humpty and Puss had obviously been separated temporarily. But Puss didn't believe in the magic beans anymore, which had served as a pain reliever for Imelda at the time of discovery. (And the Captain of the Guard)

"But Puss, you have other friends here at the orphanage! Why don't you play with the other children?" Imelda asked him.

Puss sighed with frustration as he rolled his eyes. "Because they don't WANT to play with me, Imelda. Besides, I want a friend that's like me, another cat," Puss explained.

Sadness started to show in his eyes, as he started to realize how lonely he had been all his life.

Imelda let out a sigh, now realizing the problem as she sat down at the bed next to him. "Puss, I cannot adopt another cat, we have been over this before."

"Then at least let me visit my friend! Please! I'll be good, I'll do every chore in the orphanage, I'll do anything!" Puss begged.

"Puss, if I let you visit the town, you know I have to let the other children do it as well, it wouldn't be fair to them…" Imelda started.

"Please! I'll do anything!" Puss protested again. Imelda sighed again.

"Where is this cat you have met?" Imelda asked him.

Puss felt a flicker of hope appear. "At the bottom of the hill, just at the edge of town," Puss replied.

"Well….. I suppose I could make an exception…."

Puss yowled with joy, leaping into her arms. "Thank you! Thank you, Imelda! I promise I won't let you down!" He assured her.

"You can start with calling me, "Mother," Imelda said with a smile.

Puss sighed as he padded out of the room, rolling his eyes sarcastically. "Yes, mother."

He walked along the main floor of the orphanage, until he reached the bed to the right, closest to the B wing door.

Leaping onto the bed, he made himself comfortable on the soft covers, before sitting himself down. Humpty had just reached the bed next to him.

"Did Imelda bust you again?" Humpty asked with a smirk.

"Kinda," Puss replied miserably.

"Puss, don't take it personally, she ALWAYS, treats us like that, you know that," Humpty stated.

"Yeah I know, but I wish she wouldn't," Puss muttered, as he stretched out on the bed. Humpty lie on the bed next to him quietly, before he started talking again.

"I know what'll cheer you up," Humpty insisted.

Puss sighed with frustration. "No Humpty, we are not going bean hunting!"

Humpty sighed back in reply. "Come on Puss, I bet I have the right kind this time!"

"Humpty, you've said that like hundred times before. Besides, I don't believe in them anymore, they are just a fairy tale for little kids at bedtime," Puss stated.

"But you promised," Humpty reminded him, giving Puss an upset look.

Puss hesitated, then rolled his eyes before replying, "Alright, ONE more try, then that's it."

At times, Humpty acted like a five year old to Puss.

He hopped onto Humpty's bed next to him. "So what's the plan, all powerful plan master?" He asked.

Humpty smiled as he pulled out a small scroll, with a well drawn blueprint of the orphanage's Kitchen.

"I was hoping you would ask that. Anyway, the Gourmet chief is supposed to be arriving here, tonight. And the recipe he is bringing, is a bean kind so rare, that we haven't even discovered it yet! That is the target. We need to get at least 4 of these beans, just like the legend says, without the Gourmet chief seeing us, or we are gonna be in big trouble." Humpty explained. "So are you in?"

The question took Puss by complete surprise. He didn't feel so sure now if he wanted to take the risk just for 4 beans that probably weren't even real…..

"I don't know Humpty," Puss started uneasily, "This plan sounds a little risky, breaking into the kitchen when the gourmet is cooking? Imelda will skin me alive, and then cook you for breakfast if she found out we were snooping in their! Besides, couldn't we just take a few beans during dinner?" Puss asked.

"Puss, the beans aren't for us," Humpty explained.

After thinking long and hard, Puss finally replied. "Alright, what's the plan?"

And with that, Humpty started to explain his detailed plan to Puss.

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Puss sat on his bed, grooming himself casually as the Gourmet Chief passed by. The other children were loudly annoying and bombarding him with constant questions as he walked down the hall to the kitchen. "Children!"

Imelda's cheery voice sounded from the B wing door. "Please give the Gourmet some space! He is very busy tonight!"

"But I want to see what the secret food is!" One child whined.

"Well you are going to have to be patient if you want to see it! The Gourmet is working very hard to make this fine fiesta for us tonight!" Imelda insisted.

"Gracious Senoria," The Gourmet chief bowed his gratitude to Imelda, before disappearing into the kitchen.

Imelda walked over to Puss, who was still on top of the bed. "Puss, I need you and Humpty to please stay out of trouble while the Gourmet is here, can you do that for me?" Puss nodded in reply.

"Good, now please stay out of the kitchen while he is working, the Gourmet is a very busy man today," Imelda insisted, ruffling the fur on his head, making Puss blush as she walked away.

He knew that he couldn't get caught today, or he would be dead for sure. He and Humpty had already been in enough trouble already, the last thing he needed was the Gourmet's attention. He was already on bad enough terms with the Gourmet, considering he had tried twice to steal from him before.

That's when he noticed Humpty stick his head out the B Wing door, then crept to the Kitchen door, gesturing for Puss to join him. Puss leapt out of his bed stealthily, as he crept over to the kitchen door, mimicking it in a dramatic ninja kind of way. Humpty watched scene with amusement as Puss finally made it to the other side of the double doors. "Alright, we got to be really quiet Puss, let me check for the Gourmet first," Humpty insisted, as he opened the door a bit, making it let out a loud "creak." They both flinched, expecting for the Gourmet to see them, but lucky for them, he was too occupied with his vegetable chopping for him hear it. "Okay, now," Humpty said in a frantic whisper as they both tiptoed through the door together. The Gourmet hummed the tune of a song to himself as he tossed the vegetable into the decorated pot he had hanged over the fire. "Oh, yes, yes, that's very good," The Gourmet muttered to himself, rubbing his small mustache admiringly, before going back to chopping more vegetables while humming continually. His back was turned to the pot, giving Humpty a chance to tiptoe over to the boiling pot. Steam rose from the top because of the boiling water, as it disappeared into the air. Humpty hopped silent up once, then twice, but could not get a good eye at the inside. He gazed back at Puss, gesturing for him to come to him. "Puss, I need a lift!" Puss tiptoed over to him as quietly as the wooden floor would allow him to until he reached Humpty. He stuck out his front paws over the ground, as Humpty stepped onto them. Puss lifted him into the air, doing his best not to make any noise, as his shoulders throbbed at the pain of holding Humpty's weight. Humpty grabbed the jeweled rimming, then he took a quick peek over the edge. To his surprise and satisfaction, the beans hadn't been added yet. Puss finally brought Humpty down with a grunt, thankful to have that weight of his shoulders.

"How much do you weigh again?" Puss asked in a frantic whisper.

"I don't know, a lot?" Humpty replied with a shrug.

They started to tiptoe towards table in front of them, but the wooden floor let out a loud "creak," as Humpty's foot came down on it.

Humpty and Puss dived under the table quietly just as the Gourmet turned around to see what was making the noise.

"Huh?" His feet passed by their hiding spot for a moment, as he glanced behind the counter that they used to be hiding at. Then his feet drifted back over to another table, as the sound of chopping and humming resumed. Humpty and Puss let out sighs of relief as they exchanged nervous laughs.

Suddenly, the chief's feet came over to their table.

"Go find out what he is doing," Humpty whispered.

"Why me? This was your idea!" Puss countered in a frantic whisper.

"Si, but it was you who made the choice to come!" Humpty whispered back loudly, "Now go!"

Puss sighed with frustration as he silently stalked out the other side of the table. Luckily for him, the Gourmet Chief was busy rolling some dough on his cutting board.

And as Puss peaked over the edge of the table, he found just what they had been looking for.

The Beans.

Puss silently climbed onto the top of the table, then hid behind a wooden bowl, as the Chief grabbed the bag beans from right beside him at the table, then carried them to the boiling pot of water.

"Oh crap!" Puss thought, while doing a face palm to himself.

He knew there was no way he would get to the beans if they were put in there!

Puss knew he had to think of something, and fast.

That's when he noticed the rolling pin in front of him on the table. He brought out his arms, and gave it a slight push, sending it onto the ground with a loud clatter.

The sudden loud noise startled the chief, as he turned around swiftly, his eyes wide with fear. He set down the bag of beans on the table behind him, then bent over cautiously to pick up the rolling pin. When he had sat up, he had noticed something completely out of order.

An upside down bowl was sitting face down on the wooden table.

The Gourmet chef's mustache twitched with suspicion as he slowly picked up a frying pan from the wooden counter behind him.

"Raccoons in my kitchen?" He muttered crossly.

He reached toward the upside down bowl slowly, then lifted it up frantically, his frying pan ready to hit Puss.

But was he there? No.

"Huh?" The chief looked around the room confusingly, as if expecting to find a raccoon appear out of thin air.

Puss was scrunched up in the bowl, sticking his arms and legs to the bowl so that he wouldn't be seen.

The chief was about to look inside the bowl, when a voice from outside interrupted him.

"Mr. Antonio, are the appetizers ready?" Imelda called from outside.

The chief set down the bowl almost immediately, startled by the sudden voice. "Uh, yes ah senoria! I will just a moment!"

He scrambled to adjust his white chef's hat as he picked up a tray of food from the wooden table.

"Disaster, disaster I tell you!" He muttered to himself as he stepped outside with the tray.

Puss let out a sigh of relief as he sat up from the bowl, as Humpty got out from under the table. "Yes!" Humpty said under his breath.

Puss leapt onto the table with the beans, as Humpty struggled to climb onto the table.

"Puss, er- a little help here?" Humpty asked, as Puss rushed to his friend's aid. After helping get him on the table, they ran toward the sack of beans on the table.

"Finally! We got it!" Humpty said triumphantly.

"Alright, how many did we get?" Puss asked, as a grin appeared on his face.

Humpty untied the sack, and turned it over. But what came out weren't beans.

It was wheat grains!

"What?!" Humpty exclaimed with disbelief. "What are grains doing here? This bag is marked beans!"

"Ah ha!" A loud voice behind them startled them as Humpty and Puss turned to find themselves face to face with the Gourmet.

"Oh no," Puss moaned. He just knew he and Humpty were both dead already.

"So it was you two Diablos that have been scurrying around my kitchen! I should have known. You two probably think you can still steal from me and then get away with it again, don't you?" The Gourmet spat, approaching them slowly.

"N- No! You don't understand, we weren't-"

Puss tried to explain, but this chef clearly didn't want to hear their explanation.

"Sure, that's what you said before when you tried to steal my famous beans two years ago! I knew you two would try to steal again, and now it's time for you both to learn your lesson. Especially you, cat," He growled as he grabbed a frying pan from the wooden table.

"RUN PUSS!" Humpty yelled as he jumped onto the floor and started for the door.

Puss scrambled across the counter as the Gourmet chief brought his frying pan down on the counter, knocking over the sack of wheat. "Come back here you little Diablo!" He yelled after Puss as he wacked at him again with the frying pan, only to trip on the rolling pin, sending him skating across the floor until he ran right into the jeweled cauldron that held the soup, sending it onto the floor, just as Puss had made it to the door.

"Uh oh, that's not good," Puss said with a grave expression on his face, as the hot soup spilled all over the floor.

The Gourmet chief was just getting up from the floor.

"CURSE YOU PUSS!" He yelled after the orange cat as he and his friend darted out the door, laughing.

"Come on let's get out of here!" Humpty said aloud as they darted back into B wing.

Right into Imelda and the caretakers.

And they did not look happy.

The Gourmet had just struggled to get out of the kitchen, his cooking clothes covered in soup and filth.

"I am so glad that you are here, these two THIEVES, were trying to steal from me while I was cooking!" The Gourmet complained, "They even spilled my world famous soup!"

"No we didn't! It was you who spilled it!" Humpty immediately accused.

"Humpty that is enough of your excuses, go back to B wing, you're grounded," One of the caretakers said firmly.

Humpty gazed at them in disbelief. "But-"

"NOW," The caretaker ordered sternly.

Humpty rolled his eyes as he started towards B wing. "I hate you…." He muttered under his breath.

"I heard that!" The caretaker called after him.

Puss' ears drooped with shame as he turned to face Imelda, not making eye contact with her. He already knew what would happen to him.

"Puss, I am very disappointed in you, I expected better from you." Imelda said firmly.

Puss nodded silently. "Si, I am very sorry for what I have done," Puss apologized.

"Good. Now I want you to go back to B wing, where you will be informed of your punishment." But Imelda wasn't finished.

"Sometimes I feel like you will never behave puss. I love you just as much as any child here, if not more, but you have to start learning how to behave on your own, and Humpty is a bad influence on you in that way." Imelda told him.

Puss nodded sadly with understanding, before turning to walk into B wing, his tail between his legs.

He couldn't help but wonder: Would there ever be a time that he wouldn't be in trouble in his life?

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**That's Chapter 3! Again, I know there isn't any action but patience. The next chapter will be the last one one to include Puss' childhood. But a word of warning. Once Chapter 5 starts, the rating of this story will have changed. Chapters 1-4 were rated K, but that is not the case in the next part of the story after chapter 4. If you read the summary reasons of why it is rated T, then you know what to expect. I will never add porno or anything too descriptive, but their will be a good a amount of romance and Suggestive themes. There will also be a good amount of violence, which will be slightly intense for some readers. Just letting you know!**

**Chapter 4 preview: Puss, now at age 14, has been living the rest of his normal life at San Ricardo. But little does he know, that his reputation as a troublemaker, is about to change ****dramatically, when the Captain's daughter is put in a dangerous situation.**


	4. Hero

**Hope you enjoy this quick chapter, I spent all morning to get this done, so I hope I did okay! ;D Enjoy!**

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Puss sat up from his bed, stretching briefly in the sun that shined from outside the window. He already knew what he would be doing today. Humpty was still asleep, but he didn't bother to wake him up.

He hopped off the bed, landing on all fours on the wooden floor, as he started to pad towards the door.

"Going somewhere Puss?" Imelda asked from behind him.

"Yes mother, just outside to visit a friend," Puss replied simply, as he turned to walk out the door.

"Be back in time for breakfast!" She called after him as he stepped outside.

The morning breeze sliced through his fur smoothly, as the sun's rays warmed him at the same time. It was very cloudy outside, yet it also seemed very sunny at the same time.

He padded up through the grass until he reached the edge of the hill, as he gazed down it. Purring with amusement, he remembered the mistake he had made two years ago, when he tried to sprint down the hill last time.

He was waiting for someone, as his eyes scanned the town below, until his eyes rested upon a white shape just at the bottom of the hill.

Cloud.

He grinned at the sight, as he padded down the hill towards her. She smiled back at him as she padded up the hill to greet him.

"Hey Puss," She told him once they had meet up.

"Hey Cloud," Puss replied, in a slightly shy kind of way.

"So….. what should we do today?" Cloud asked, pretending to be full of wonder.

They both sat there for a moment, making pretend "Hmmmmm…" sounds.

"Shall we have a race to the edge of town?" She finally offered.

"We shall," Puss replied with a grin.

Cloud took off toward the town without warning, taking him by surprise as he started after her.

"Hey no fair, you cheated!" He protested with a laugh as he raced after her.

"I know I'm sorry!" She called back while laughing with joy.

It wasn't long before he had managed to catch up to her, as they neared the edge of town. They had both reached to wall at the same time.

"I win!" Puss declared.

"No I win!" Cloud protested.

"Yeah but you cheated," Puss replied with a smirk, earning a playful cuff over the ear from her.

"Fine how about this, we both win?" Cloud decided.

"Alright, that sounds like a fair outcome," Puss responded.

They were still breathing heavily from the race, as they sat down beside each other on the grass, their pelts nearly touching each other. They both gazed at the gate, wondering what lied beyond it.

"What do you think the world is like outside those gates?" Puss asked.

"Well, I have had my small share of the world at one time. It's pretty big, trust me," Cloud told him.

"There are these really big towering hills, which everyone calls mountains, but I never got to see one up close. What about you? Have you ever gotten a glance outside of the gates?" Cloud asked him.

"Pfft, don't I wish," Puss replied, "I just wish I could see the world for myself one day, but the rule that states that you have to be 18 to leave the orphanage doesn't apply to me, just because I am a cat," Puss muttered.

"Well, you kind of do have a family here don't you?" Cloud asked.

"Well yeah I do, but I want to start a real family, and have REAL adventures." Puss replied, "Not just sitting in the same town all year, every year."

"I feel that way sometimes too," Cloud admitted, "But when I have family and friends like you, I could never leave this place."

"Thanks, I feel the same way," Puss replied warmly.

There seemed to be some sort of tension between them, as if there was something that they both wanted to say to each other, except they were too nervous to say it.

Puss didn't know what this weird feeling was, or why he was feeling it at all.

Cloud leaned closer to his face for a moment, making him slightly nervous as he leaned back.

"Sorry about that," Cloud immediately moved back into place, though she seemed stressed about something.

"No it's fine, I didn't mean it that way," Puss replied, feeling slightly awkward about his sudden move.

"I shouldn't have done that," Cloud insisted.

"We are still friends aren't we?" Puss asked worryingly.

"Oh friends? Of- of course we are – friends," Cloud seemed hesitant on the word for some reason.

Suddenly, a scream sounded from behind them, as Puss and Cloud turned to see where it was coming from.

Citizens and bystanders were blocking the view, as guards struggled to push their way through the crowd. There was shocked whispering and gasps coming from the crowd as they gazed at something in front of them. Puss and Cloud ran around the group to the edge of the railing, which was supposed to hold something in….

That's when Puss saw the enraged bull, running around wildly around the inside of the fence. But the bull wasn't the only thing in the fence.

Hiding on one of the lower tree branches of a tree, was a terrified young woman, wearing a red dress.

Puss recognized her immediately.

She was the young daughter of the Captain of the Guard!

And sure enough, there was the Captain himself, struck with fear. "No! My beautiful daughter! Will someone please save her? Anyone!"The Captain fell to his knees with grief, dropping his broken sword, which had clearly been destroyed by the bull.

Puss gazed up at the stranded young daughter, then back at the bull. And suddenly, he had a plan.

Puss stepped forward out of the crowd, in front of the grieving Captain. "I will save her."

This sent gasps of shock up from the crowd, as they gazed at the small figure on the ground. The Captain looked at Puss, as his expression changed to doubt.

"What can you do? You are just a cat! You cannot kill a bull!" The Captain insisted.

Puss grinned. "Who says we have to kill it?"

One guard spoke up from behind the Captain. "Captain, I don't think we have much of a choice, that tree isn't going to hold forever with that Diablo continuing to hit it."

The Captain seemed reluctant, but nodded with understanding as he turned to Puss. He fell to his knees again in front of him, putting his hands lightly on his paws. "You better bring my daughter back safe," He growled through gritted teeth.

Puss sat up on two legs. "I promise you senor, no harm will come to her."

Cloud watched the scene with worry, as Puss leapt over the wooden fence onto the sandy ground.

The bull continued charging into the tree, sending leaves down from it as it shook furiously, clearly on the verge of losing a branch. The daughter clung to a tree branch desperately, as she struggled to stay on.

Puss put one paw to his mouth and gave a sharp whistle. The bull turned its attention to Puss with a loud grunt.

"Hey Diablo! Come get me!" Puss taunted, gesturing for the bull to go for it.

The bull's small tail flickered eagerly and rapidly as it huffed and grunted, scraping its foot back and forth for a charge. Finally, with one loud roar of rage, it charged after Puss at full speed. Puss ran straight at it on all fours as well, waiting until the last second before leaping over him, narrowly dodging its horns as he landed on two paws. This sent cheers up from the civilians, as they watched the scene with pure amazement. The bull ran right into the fence post, as it let out a growl of rage, shaking its head with fury as it darted around to face Puss again, who was already up the tree. Puss managed to reach the tree branch that held the Captain's daughter, as he swung in beside her.

"Senorita, I don't mean to be rude, but I am going to need a piece of your dress," Puss insisted.

"What?" The daughter stared at him with confusion. "Why?"

"Listen girl, do you want to get out of here or not?" Puss asked, starting to get impatient as the bull started toward the tree again.

The daughter finally gave in, as she ripped off a small enough piece of fabric for his paw from her red dress.

"This better be worth it, I spent so much coin on this dress," She muttered.

"Thank you senoria." Puss leapt off the tree as the bull rammed into it again.

It turned back around again, readying itself for a charge again.

Puss sprinted down the pen until he reached stable gate, which was wide open. When he reached the end, he opened the piece of red fabric as far as it would go, then waved it in between the two open gates leading to the stables. At the sight of the color red, the bull let out a loud roar again, as it charged after the fabric. Puss waited until the last second before he let go of the fabric, just as the bull ran straight into the stables. Puss swiftly shut both of the gates as fast and hard as he could, as he locked them afterwards. The bull growled and roared with rage, but couldn't find another way out of the stables, as it thrashed around the small room furiously.

Silence met afterwards, as the stunned citizens and guards watched the scene. They couldn't believe how fast he had dealt with the bull!

The daughter climbed down from the tree, thankful to be back on ground.

Finally, the crowd exploded in cheers as the guards tossed their helmets in the air, while bystanders tossed flowers at Puss, who just blushed at the scene.

The daughter knelt down beside him and scratched Puss around the ears, making him purr.

"You are a hero!" The Captain cried as he charged into the pen, followed by a few other bystanders.

Even Imelda was there, smiling as she walked up to him. "Surely a good deed like this cannot go unrewarded?" Imelda asked the Captain.

The Captain thought for a moment, fingering his beard briefly. That's when one of the guards tapped his soldier, and whispered something into his ear, as he handed him something.

The Captain nodded in reply, before turning back around to reveal a pair of small, black, boots. He put them down in front of Puss, then gestured for him to try them.

"If you are going to be a hero, you are going to have to look the part," Imelda whispered from behind him.

Puss approached them cautiously, giving them a sniff, before he sunk his back paws into the boots.

The feel of the leather against his paws felt surprisingly cool, yet also quite comfortable.

"Well? What do you think? Do you like them?" The Captain asked.

"Si, Gracious senor," Puss replied simply. He let his feet feel around the smooth boot leather, trying to get used to the smooth feel of it.

"He's like a little Puss in Boots!" Imelda exclaimed, making him blush as a few of the ladies made "Awe," sounds. But the Captain seemed to like the idea.

"Puss in Boots…. That could be your new hero name!" The Captain guessed. A few of the guards nodded in agreement, probably just because they were going along with whatever the Captain said.

Hero.

The word echoed in Puss' head, as the sound of cheering started to sound more far away.

"Was that what I was destined to be?" Puss thought.

He had heard so many tales of heroes, yet they were all either fairy tales or just folktales. But the villains he had heard of have all seemed pretty real...

All that seemed missing was a hero…..

Puss knew this was the moment of truth, the moment that would change his life forever, but could he make it work?

Puss gazed at the wanted posters on the wall behind the crowd, then at the large bounty they were worth, then back at the guards, who could only help to a certain limit with things like that….. At that moment, Puss knew that he could make a difference, as he stared down at the boots he was wearing.

"Puss? Are you alright?" Imelda's voice drew Puss out of his thoughts.

"Yes, I am fine." Puss responded, as he took a step forward. "And I would be honored to be named Puss in Boots."

The crowd exploded into cheering as they chanted his new name.

Imelda ruffled the fur on his head, before giving him a large hug, nearly strangling him to death as he pulled himself out of her grasp.

Cloud padded up beside him, smiling at him once he noticed her gaze.

"Nice work, hero," She told him as she gave him a kiss on the cheek, making his fur stand on end. Puss simply smiled back at her in reply, as they both blushed at each other.

Through the whole scene of being praised, Puss in Boots knew that his life had changed for good.

He was now a true hero of Spain.

Puss in Boots.

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**Another quick chapter all completed for you guys! I hope this was similar to how he earned his boots before, and i did my best to make it very similar to that. Anyhow, you guys should know what to expect from the next chapter, and so on and so forth. If you read my last authors note in chapter 3, then you know what you will be reading. But now comes the action parts I have been promising! (Which is working it's way towards)**

**And I would really appreciate it if you guys would share your thoughts and review! ****:D**

**Chapter 5 preview: Puss has been the hero of Spain for three years now, but he has decided to take steps to ****solidify that reputation. His first step? A sword mentor.  
**


	5. Lesson Learned

**5,000 words, *whew.* sorry for the long delay, but I bet this huge chapter will greatly make up for it, ENJOY! ;D **

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**1645, San Ricardo, Spain**

"Down, right, left, STRIKE!" The Commander barked, as his soldiers copied the moves with their sword.

"Down, right, left, STRIKE!" They echoed repeatedly, extending their sword outwards from them.

Meanwhile, Puss watched the guards curiously as they did this from atop the hill. The Commander was only staying here temporarily, just to teach the guards a few things about combat. After he was done with this town, then he would move on to the next city.

"Phase 3, maneuver one, as fast as you can!" The Commander ordered. "Down, again, sweep, midsection, STRIKE!"

"I want to see it again! Faster this time!" He shouted. They echoed the commands swiftly, but did the moves sloppily. The Commander did a face palm at the sight, sighing with frustration. "Soldier Reyez, please step forward," He said in a fake friendly tone.

One guard reluctantly stepped forward, as a few other guards tried to hide stifled laughter.

"Oh, man, he is so busted," Puss thought with amusement as he watched the scene.

"Yes senor?" The soldier replied, also trying to hide his amused expression.

"Let me ask you something Reyez, do you know how to hold a sword?" The Commander asked sternly, as one guard behind him mocked his tone of voice, sending more concealed laughter from the other guards. "Yes sir," He replied simply. "

And do you know how to do Phase 3, maneuver one?" He asked him in a curious tone.

"Yes sir. Down, repeat, sweep, midsection, strike." The soldier recited swiftly.

Puss was surprised to hear what he Commanders' reply was. "Wrong! It is supposed to go like this you fool: Down, repeat, sweep, down, midsection, THAN strike!" He barked into his ear, making Reyez flinch at his tone of voice. "How many times do I have to-"

"That's wrong Commander," Puss' voice sounded from behind the group of guards, making them all turn around in surprise.

"There was no 3rd down," Puss pointed out.

The other guards nodded in agreement, as a few whispers drifted around the group. The Commander growled with anger at his guard's sudden change of attitude. "Fine, if you think you know it so well, then why don't you show us how it's done, boy?" he challenged, offering a sword handle to Puss. Puss was stunned at how enormously large the sword looked compared to him. He was nearly half its size! How would he ever be able to hold that thing? "I- I can't Senor, the sword is too big," Puss stammered with shame, as the Commander crouched down beside him with a grin.

"Exactly. How can you possibly know the phases, if you can't even hold a sword, let along use one?" He said aloud, sending laughter from the guards behind him. The guards weren't on his side anymore, Puss knew that he was now on his own now.

"Besides, I am the Commander, I am the one who comes up with the phases, and I am the one who says if they are right or not, not some orphaned cat," he said with a smirk.

Puss did everything he could to stop himself from ripping this guy apart, as he glared at the ground in front of the Commander, not daring to meet his gaze.

"So let me ask you, Puss in Boots, what kind of hero are you if you don't even know how to save people's lives?" he challenged. "You're just a cat that wears a pair of boots, nothing more."

"Is there a problem here Commander?" The Captain's stern voice sounded from behind the group of guards. The Commander immediately changed his expression, as he turned to face the Captain. "You need to teach this cat not to interfere with matters he knows nothing about. He has interrupted my teachings twice already!" The Commander insisted angrily.

"I- I apologize Commander. You may hold me responsible for his actions," he replied nervously.

The Commander just sighed again, putting his hand on his face. "Just get this foolish cat out of my sight," He ordered.

The Captain gestured for Puss to follow, while turning back around.

"What were you thinking?" He asked Puss harshly once they were out of sight.

"All I did was correct him on ONE phase," Puss stated. "And then he started insulting me! You don't know what he said to me, you-"

"Enough!" The Captain ordered. "Puss, listen to me, just because you were named a hero three years ago, doesn't mean you can go around, saying whatever you please! I need you to show the Commander some respect, please. He came here for a very good reason, and I'm sure whatever he said to you was for a good reason as well." The Captain explained.

"But-"

"I said enough!" The Captain interrupted loudly. "Now, I'm going to let you go this time, but stay out of the Commander's way, please. We don't need any more complaints from you, or him." He told Puss firmly.

Puss glared at the Captain as he watched him walk away. Had he forgotten about what he had done for his daughter three years ago? It seemed like everyone in San Ricardo had, because now it seemed like they were treating him like nothing more than just another teenager cat! He wasn't any ordinary cat, but they had all seemed to have forgotten that by now. Puss wanted to remind them so badly, but he knew he would only get a few laughs in reply. But now that Puss thought about it, what could he possibly do to be a hero when he was only a cat? Sure, Puss could save a daughter from a bull, or get something stolen back, but those didn't involve any combat situations. All he had were a small pair of claws and teeth! Puss lowered his head in shame, thinking back to what the Commander had said.

"What kind of hero do you think you are? You're just an ordinary cat wearing a pair of boots, nothing more. You can't even hold a sword, let alone use one!"

He knew that he had to face the facts, there would never be a way for him to be a true hero. He was only delaying the inevitable. If only there was a cat swordsman in the world….

That's when the thought hit him.

That was all he needed, a sword mentor!

If there was some way he could come in contact with a sword mentor, then maybe he would have a chance at being an actual hero! But where in Spain, would he ever hope to find a CAT, sword mentor?

"I'll ask the Captain," Puss finally decided, "He may know someone."

For a moment, his own thought sounded like wishful thinking and nothing more than a fairy tale, but he pushed it out of his mind. If there was any chance of him being an actual hero, then this was his chance to prove it.

Puss started out of the alley again, now back into the streets. He sighed at the sight if all the people around the town. Ever sense he had been allowed access to the entire town now, it seemed like a foreign country to Puss. He could finally catch a glimpse of what the world would be like around him in Spain, with all the different cities and towns he would find. He was happy to finally be allowed to be out of that miserable orphanage, his life had seemed so boring, sitting in the same place for 16 years…. But Imelda had made an exception for him, now all he was waiting on was the time when she would allow him to leave San Ricardo. That was when he would be truly satisfied.

Puss walked past the General store, and a few other smaller building along the way, as other people and travelers passed by him. Men, women, children, or even the occasional cat or hound strolled up and down the dirt roads. The hounds growled at the sight of Puss, clearly not fond of cats, as their owners whistled for them to stay with them. He continued onward, until he caught sight of the Captain's bearded face, just up the road from him. Luckily, the Captain wasn't with a patrol at the moment, he was only browsing the wears of a Blacksmith. Puss picked up speed, as he made his way up to the Captain, who was now talking to the Blacksmith.

"That will be 2 sovereigns please," The smith was just telling him.

"Very well, sounds reasonable enough, I'll take it. Just have my sword improved and ready by tomorrow," The Captain said with a twitch of his beard.

The smith dipped his head in reply, and started hammering the iron sword on his metal anvil.

"Captain!" Puss' voice sounded from behind him, as Puss just reached him.

"Yes, what can I do for you, Puss?" The Captain asked, now turning his attention to Puss.

"I was wondering if I could…. Ask you about something?" Puss replied, slightly nervous.

He knew the Captain was probably going to think he was crazy after he heard the question.

"Of course, go ahead," The Captain urged him gently. He glanced back at the Blacksmith, who was still working on his iron sword on the anvil, then back at Puss.

"In fact, why don't we walk and talk?" He suggested. Puss was a little surprised at his gentleness, but simply nodded in reply, before they both started down the dirt road. "So what's on your mind today, son?" He asked him curiously.

"Well…. I was thinking a little today about…. You know, being a hero and all. And I got down to thinking that there were other ways I could solidify that reputation," Puss started uneasily.

"Meaning?" The Captain asked.

"Meaning I want to do more," Puss explained, "I want to do more for Spain, not just San Ricardo. I feel like I have to learn something else, that I have to do more for my country…." Puss told him, trying to figure out how to ask him his question.

"Boy, speak your mind already," The Captain urged impatiently. Puss knew that he had to tell the Captain flat out at this point.

He let out a deep sigh, before reluctantly replying.

"I want to learn how to use a sword."

The Captain stopped dead in his footsteps at the question, as his beard twitched with amusement. The words were stuck in Puss' throat, as if they were choking him slowly to death, as he stood there.

"I don't think I heard you right, what?" He asked Puss.

"I'm serious Senor," Puss insisted, knowing that the Captain had actually heard.

The Captain looked like he was on the verge of bursting into laughter. "You? Want to learn how to use a sword?"

Puss glared at him in reply. "Yes, do you not think I can do any better than the guards?" He growled grudgingly.

The Captain laughed in reply. "No, no, no, I don't think that at all," he insisted, "But I'm just surprised that YOU, want to learn how to use one. And I mean you are a- a cat," He pointed out, trying not to laugh again, which fueled Puss' anger even further.

"Why does it seem like everything I want to do is prohibited just because of the fact that I am a cat? Would it be the same if I were a dog? No! So why do humans have to act so protective of me as if I can't defend myself?" Puss thought angrily. But he kept his thoughts contained, knowing that he had another plan.

"If that's what you want to do, then I will respect that," The Captain was telling him, "But whom in San Ricardo, do you think would train you how to use a sword? I doubt I'd be the best teacher. So tell me boy, just which one of these guards do you think would be willing to train you?" He asked Puss, his voice filled with doubt.

"I don't," Puss replied, "I was actually wondering, if you knew about a- cat swordsman?" Puss clenched his teeth nervously as he finished his sentence.

He knew how the Captain was probably going to react to his question, and regretted it as soon as the words came out.

Silence drifted between the Captain and Puss for a minute, as Puss stared down at the ground in front of him, not wanting to see the Captain's expression. "A cat?" The Captain echoed apart of his question.

"Yes sir," Puss replied quietly. "Uh huh," he stroked his beard thoughtfully briefly, but casually. "And just what makes you think that a cat swordsman can help you any better?" He asked curiously.

Puss couldn't catch any hint of amusement, so he knew that the Captain probably didn't think he was going half as crazy as he had expected him to be. But did he know someone that could help?

"Well senor…. I was just thinking about how difficult it would be for- a human, to teach me how to use a sword, I mean no disrespect when I say this Captain," Puss assured him quickly, before continuing. "But I just thought that maybe if I had a mentor that was more like me, you know, a cat otherwise?" Puss explained, trying to keep his explanation clear, but simple at the same time.

The Captain nodded casually in reply, clearly having something in store for Puss. Puss knew that same mystified expression on his face anywhere. The way his beard twitched, the way his eyebrows were built into a frown, the way he walked, Puss recognized it all. He was wearing the same look that he gave his men, whenever he had something on his mind, something that could help. And that's why his reply didn't surprise Puss.

"Yes…. Yes, I do believe a cat mentor would probably suite you much better than one of my men," The Captain agreed with a nod.

But Puss knew that he wasn't finished.

"But here's where my next question comes in, where do you hope to find one?" He asked Puss curiously.

Puss knew what the Captain was trying to do, just as he always did with his men. It was a test.

A test to test his knowledge and wits. He gazed back at the Captain, wearing the same casual look on his face as he had. He wasn't fooled, even though the Captain had seemed to act like he knew nothing about where a cat swordsman was. He did, and Puss knew it just as well as this Captain did.

"Actually, I was just about to ask you the same thing," Puss replied, narrowing his eyes at the Captain curiously. The Captain did the same thing. After a minute of dead silence, the Captain's expression changed into a smile, as he burst out laughing. Puss grinned at the sight too, and couldn't help chuckling at the sight. The Captain finally stopped, after some rough coughing interrupted his joyful moment.

"Whew, I haven't had a good laugh like that in years, ha, ha…." The Captain said with another laugh, as he wiped a tear of joy from his cheek. "Anywho, I was just toying with you son, you figured me out pretty well." He ruffled the fur on Puss' head briefly, making him lean back nervously, giving a light smile of embarrassment again.

He couldn't help purring at the feel, as he did enjoy the feel of his head being scratched, tough it also embarrassed him at times.

"Captain, I have known you for 17 years, I would think I would know you pretty well by now," Puss reminded him with a shy grin.

"Si, I am aware of that," The Captain replied.

"But anyway, do you know of any cat mentors that can help?" Puss asked, trying to get them back on topic again.

"I suppose that is the question si? Yes, I do know of one," The Captain started.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go, I'm ready right now!" Puss insisted impatiently.

"Whoa, slow down there boy, I'm not finished the Captain told him firmly. Puss let his fur lie straight again, as he acknowledged the Captain with a nod.

"Now listen closely, this cat has not trained anyone in this art for years," he started calmly, "He is old, and is very stubborn about who he picks as an apprentice, and because of this, he is going to try to deny that he is a sword master," The Captain warned.

"So is there any way I can convince him to train me?" Puss asked.

"Well, I have known this man for a while, and he is very particular about whom he picks….. And I have known him in the past very well, so maybe you could try telling him that the Captain sent you. Or you could also tell him, his name: Master Yuan. Then you could confront him about him being a sword mentor," The Captain suggested.

"So are you sure that you still want to go?" He asked Puss cautiously.

"Yes, of course I do!" Puss didn't hesitate to reply.

Whoever this old man was, Puss felt sure he could convince him easily.

The Captain seemed unsure, but soon gave him a gesture to follow. They started down a small stone bridge, as the Captain led the way across to the dirt road again. They passed by a few smaller town houses, along with the General store again, which wasn't that busy at the moment. A few guards were walking by with lit torches, prepared for the soon to come, cold evening. They soon came to a stop at an old, deserted house at the edge of town. The paint on the house had been peeled off from a long period of being decayed, and vines were growing down the sides of the old, eroded house. There were shattered windows; in fact the house had some that didn't have any remaining glass left at all!

"Ugh, this is where that cat lives?" Puss asked with a disgusted look on his face. If this was where he was going to be training, then he'd better not be expected to clean the house during his stay!

"Si, it may not look like Queen Isabella's #1 home in Madrid, but you would be surprised to see where he actually lives, it is quite nice and neat there." The Captain informed him.

"Yeah, right," Puss thought sarcastically as he stepped toward the house's front door.

"And Puss!" The Captain called after him, making him turn his attention back to him.

"Please don't criticize the old man, you won't want to see Yuan when he is angry…." The Captain warned him nervously.

Puss nodded, before continuing onward.

"Angry?" Puss thought amusingly, "Please, he is but an old bag of bones, how dangerous could he possibly be?"

He approached the house boldly, but became more cautious as he started to enter through the front door, aware of its current condition. This doorway hadn't probably been used in years, which meant the rest of the house probably hadn't been used in a while, leading Puss to believing that it could collapse at any given minute. All it took was one, false step…..

He stepped onto the rickety porch slowly, as it creaked loudly under his every footstep. He slipped through the ajar, broken door, being very careful not to touch it as he took his first step onto the first floor. A burst of cold air hit him right in the face, sending shivers up his spine as he gazed around the deserted house. A broken chandelier, hung by two chains instead of three, above a dinner table, which was littered with cobwebs and spider webs, and Puss didn't want to think of what else it could be. There were two flights of stairs, one to his right, and one to the left, leading to the second floor.

"Hello?" He said nervously, only to receive a loud echo in reply, followed by cold, deadly silence. It sent chills up his back again, as he forced himself to take another step forward, sending another loud creak from the floor boards below him. It took almost all of his willpower not to run back outside in fear.

"What is wrong with me?" Puss thought to himself, "I'm a hero, I'm not gonna let some stupid, scary looking house frighten me away, I'm Puss in Boots!"

He took another deep breath, before taking a few more cautious steps up the flight of stairs to the right, sending more creaks from the boards on his every step.

When he reached top of the stairs, something had caught his eye. At the end of the hall, was a dusty display case, just sitting against the wall on a small table. His eyebrows built into a confused frown, as he started approach it curiously, but cautiously.

Once Puss had reached it, he brushed the dust away from the case glass, to reveal a gleaming iron sword, just sitting inside as if it were brand new! The only difference about it, was that its hilt had the head of a snake, with its tiny fangs bared.

He reached toward the case cautiously, until a raspy voice sounded from behind. "Don't touch that boy!"

Puss gasped with panic, as he swiftly turned his attention to the speaker. And no surprise, Puss knew right away that it was him, Master Yuan. The old cat was a black and white tom, with an eye patch covering his right eye, and he also wore a small pair of fancy, black boots. In one of his paws, he clutched a shiny metal cane, which he was using to rest both of his paws on.

"I- I wasn't going to touch or steal anything!" Puss stammered nervously, taking a nervous step back, only to accidently knock over a fancy looking vase. It shattered on impact, causing growl to erupt from the old cat's throat.

"Uh… sorry?" Puss said with a nervous laugh.

"Why are you here, youngster? There is nothing for you here that you could want!" The cat rasped at him crossly.

Puss finally worked up the courage to ask him the one question, the main reason he was there.

"I want to learn how to use a sword," Puss told him firmly, "Can you teach me?"

The old cat just snorted in reply. "A sword?" He broke into raspy laughter, until he became horse not long after.

"You must have me mistaken for someone else, I don't teach such things," The old cat insisted. "Now, why are you really here?"

"I just told you," Puss snapped. "I know who you really are, Master Yuan."

The old cat's ears prickled with surprise at this. "I'm sorry who? You are clearly mistaken, son. "I ain't heard of no cat named, "Yuan," in my fifty five years of living life. Now I'm not gonna ask you twice, leave now!" He growled at Puss.

"The Captain sent me," Puss finally told him, "He told me all about you, and your reputation. You can't hide it any, old man, I know who you are," Puss insisted.

He laughed again, this time louder than usual this time, though it still sounded slightly raspy, before he cleared his throat.

"So the Captain told you all about me then, huh? Guilty as charged then," The old cat admitted, his voice, no longer raspy, but deep.

"Then I want you to teach me," Puss demanded, now becoming impatient.

"Son, you better watch that tone of yours, and learn yourself some manners! They would do you good this time of year!" Yuan snapped at him sharply. "And the answer is no, I will not, teach you."

"What?" Puss voice was full of disbelief. "Why? I can learn just as well as any other human or cat can! Do you doubt my abilities too?" Puss asked angrily.

"Youngster listen to me, I will not teach someone who is undisciplined, and clearly does not have the skill to LEARN, what I have learned. You are unworthy, and disrespectful, and now it is time for you to leave," The old cat told him coldly. But Puss stood in the same spot as he was now standing at, not moving a muscle.

"No." He told him firmly.

"I am not leaving until you teach me, I am worthy!" Puss growled.

He wasn't going to let some old bag of fish bones discourage him, after all what could he do that was, "so dangerous," that it would make him leave? He was practically dead already!

The old master lowered his head for a minute, as he took one paw off his cane. "That's too bad then," he said quietly.

"What?" Puss scoffed.

"Cause now I'm gonna have to teach you a lesson." Yuan looked back up from the ground, as he pulled something out of his cane stick.

Puss was stunned, to see him pull out a long fencing sword, with a dragon hilt! An actual sword!

Before he could react, the old cat lunged at him with surprising speed, as he narrowly dodged a sword strike. Puss rolled to the side, as Yuan swiped at him again with his sword, and then leapt onto the railing, watching Yuan very closely, his fur bristling alarmingly.

"Are you crazy?! Stop!" Puss shouted at him.

"Not until you've learned your lesson, you naughty cat," Yuan growled as he lunged at him with fury again, just as Puss leapt above, landing back onto the ground on all fours.

He thought quickly, as he ripped open the display case, and pulled out the snake hilted sword. Turning his attention back to Yuan, he took a deep breath, readying his sword on him carefully. Puss thought back to how the guards readied their swords, with their shoulders lined up high, backs straight, and arms outstretched, with a firm grip on the handle.

"Please let me tell me I'm doing this right," Puss thought nervously.

Yuan grinned at this, readying his sword as well. "A duel it shall be." He walked casually around in a circle, as Puss did the same thing in the same, casual motion. Yuan dropped his guard briefly. "Tell you what youngster, if you win, then I will teach you how to use that thing properly," Yuan suggested, "And if I win, then you better be on your merry way," He growled.

Puss nodded in agreement, readying his sword determinedly, bracing himself for a brutal attack.

Instead, he made the first move, as he ran forward at Yuan recklessly, only to have his heavy blow harmlessly side stepped, and was kneed it the face by Yuan. Puss rolled to the side just as he was about to pin him down, lunging at his now vulnerable opponent. Just as he did this Yuan deflected his blow with one hand, and deflected his other few blows with ease, before throwing him off balance with a hard push, kicking Puss back from him a good few feet.

"You anger will only result in your ultimate demise," Yuan taunted him with a smirk. "A real swordsman requires patience to win a battle, something you clearly don't have," He mocked.

Puss snarled with rage, but didn't try to attack. This time, he readied himself in a defense stance, as he slowly stepped onto the railing behind him. Yuan leaped onto the railing, slowly taking one step with each paw carefully, as he kept his tail off the rail. Puss mimicked his actions, until Yuan finally took a swipe at him, as Puss barely deflected the sudden attack, clashing back with a counter attack aimed at his legs, only to find himself knocked off balance again. Yuan swiftly stepped on his tail, sending a yowl of pain from Puss, as he fell back onto the second floor, but leaped to the side, just as Yuan jumped onto the spot where he used to be. Puss clashed multiple times with Yuan again, hitting harder, and harder, and harder, until Yuan managed to knock his sword arm out of the way, and hook his blade through his handle, then forced the sword out of Puss' hand, high up into the wall behind him. Yuan kicked him against the wall, readying his sword again for another strike.

Puss took a swift glance above him, eying the sword stuck in the wall high above him, then turned his attention back to his opponent.

And just and Yuan brought his blade down, it stuck itself right into the wall, just as Puss narrowly dodged it.

At the last second, Puss propelled himself off the stuck sword, ran along the wall, (10FT off the ground) grabbed his sword, and leaped right behind Yuan, readying his blade tip against the back of the Master's neck.

Yuan stopped moving once he felt the blade, his eyes widening with disbelief. He couldn't believe how fast he had been outsmarted by this cat!

Puss couldn't believe it either. "I- I win!" Puss exclaimed with disbelief, as he lowered his sword.

The minute he did this, the master grabbed his paws, slammed him over his back onto the ground, then forced the sword out of his hands, readying it on Puss, who was now the one immobilized. "Hey! I won fair and square!" Puss protested.

"Even when your enemy may seem weak at times, you have never truly won, until your opponent is dead," The old master told him, purring with amusement. "Consider this a lesson learned."

"So what? I have to leave now? Is that It?" Puss asked, feeling frustrated again. He already knew the answer, as he gazed down at the ground shamefully.

But the next sentence, shocked him.

"No."

"What?" Puss asked confusingly.

"I will not make you leave. You have shown me enough skill, that you are worthy of becoming a swordsman." Yuan explained. "That fight, was partially a test of whether or not you were good enough. I have never had one of my students outwit me before on their first time, let alone a teenager student," He said with amusement. "So does this mean-" Puss couldn't believe what he was starting to hear.

"Yes, youngster, I would be honored to take you as my apprentice." Master Yuan told him warmly.

Puss couldn't find the ability to speak, as he stayed on the ground.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" The old master offered his hand to Puss. "Let's get to that training!"

* * *

**I don't really have much to say... it's 3AM right now, and I am about to die. (I'm over exaggerating) XD But anyways, I hope you enoyed this HUGE chapter that I cooked up for you.**

**Chapter 6 preview: Puss starts his training with Yuan, where he learns a few things of his mentors mysterious past... Puss meets up with Cloud later, where Clovis pays another charming visit, causing further tensions between the two males...**


	6. A Tom Cat with Secrets

**Here's chapter 6! You will learn a few things from this chapter, and will get a little of each genre out of it. **

**Not really much else to say, just enjoy the story! ;D**

**And be sure to review please!**

* * *

Puss had finally found the sword mentor he had been looking for, though he wasn't all he had expected him to be. He was just training with his old master, listening to his advice and remarks as he did this….

* * *

"When you think of the sword, you should think of it not as a piece of sharp steel, but as an extension of your body," Yuan was explaining, as Puss followed his slow moments.

Puss extended his sword outward from his body, slicing through the air. "You mean like an extra long arm?" Puss asked curiously.

"If that is how you would like to see it, then yes," Yuan replied calmly.

Silence crossed between the two, before Puss stopped in the middle of one of his exercises. "Master, is their somewhere we can actually TRAIN at, then just in this ugly looking place?" Puss asked with a sigh of frustration, looking around at the unstable structure around him.

His Master hadn't shown him the supposedly, "Nice looking place," yet, and Puss was getting tired of training on air, even though he had only been there for about 10 minutes.

Yuan did a slight face palm in response, as he walked over to a dusty bookshelf in the corner of the room.

"You youngsters still need to learn some patience," he muttered.

Puss watched with amazement, as the master pulled a red book from the shelf, causing a stone wall beside it to slide open slowly. A dark stairway appeared in its place, leading down into the unknown.

"But I suppose we have delayed this moment long enough," Yuan finished, while gesturing for Puss to follow.

Puss nearly tripped on the first step as he stumbled after Yuan in the pitch black darkness, which was only illuminated by the dim light that came from where he had entered from. He started to feel colder and colder with each step he took. After struggling down the cold, unforgiving darkness, he could finally start to see his feet again, as a dim light glowed near the bottom of the stairs. As Puss started to near the bottom, he soon found that the strange light was a torch. Yuan had just reached the bottom beside him. An old, cat sized doorway was now illuminated by the torch in front of Puss, who stared at it curiously. Yuan glanced back at Puss, then gestured for him to try to doorknob. Puss just shrugged, and attempted to open the door, but the knob wouldn't budge.

"It's locked," Puss said bluntly.

"Uh huh, and how do you think we should proceed to unlock it?" Yuan asked in the same tone, widening his eyebrows in a mysterious way.

"A key?" Puss asked amusingly.

Did this old man think he was stupid? Or was he simply joking with him?

A grin appeared on Yuan's face, as he shook his head in reply, before taking his dragon hilted sword. That's when Puss noticed the odd shaped keyhole in the door.

Yuan flipped his sword around to the hilt side, and slightly pushed the dragon hilt into the keyhole, before a click sounded.

Puss' eyes widened with surprise and disbelief. He didn't want to admit it, but he was impressed. This old cat clearly had lots of others tricks up his sleeves and more experience then he could ever hope to learn in one year, yet he was still surprised at the way he improvised so well with the door keyhole.

"How did you do that?" Puss asked, while gazing at the door with amazement as it slowly opened.

Yuan just glanced back at him with another mysterious grin, grabbing the torch, which now illuminated his entire face, including the black eye patch.

"You're about to find out," He told Puss, before disappearing through the wooden doorway.

Puss followed Yuan through the doorway to find the remains of a stone staircase in front of him, leading up to a small, dancing, orange light just near the top. The staircase was broken all the way up, except for a few loosely attached floor boards at what used to be the top of it. The railings and other floor boards were broken and scattered around the stone room Puss was in, and it looked as if they had been smashed, or somehow collapsed. Around Puss, were just plain stone walls, almost cave like. The only thing decorating the walls were large fainted red banners, with the picture of a Dragon's head on the center of it, along with two swords crossed behind it. The fabric of some of the banners were ripped, dusty, or decayed because of the amount of time they had been there. Puss' eyes trailed around the deserted room, until his eyes rested on the destroyed staircase, leading to who knows where.

"What is this place?" Puss asked.

"My home," Yuan answered with a long sigh, "Beautiful isn't it?"

Puss rolled his eyes with sarcasm. "Uh…. Not exactly, but if you say so."

He had expected to find a much cleaner place like the Captain had said, but did this place look clean? No. It looked more like a burial crypt then a fancy looking home. But the Captain was right about one thing. It definitely wasn't Queen Isabella's home in Madrid, not by a long shot.

"Follow me, I think it's time I showed you just who I really am," Yuan told him.

He got on all fours, and took one giant leap, landing him at the top of the stairs with ease. Puss tried the jump this time, barely managing to make it on, but by some miracle he had managed to get a solid grip, thanks to his claws. After shaking a layer of dust away, Puss started to follow Yuan again.

"Who are YOU?" Puss repeated, showing that he was wondering that very same thing.

This sword master clearly wasn't all who he seemed to be, knowing his way around things like this, including secrets doors, with secret keyholes. There had to be more to him that meets the eye, Puss could just feel it in his gut. And as he followed Yuan into the next room, he realized he was more than right.

The light that he had seen from the bottom of the stairs had come from a small fire pit, which was set under a large chimney. But that wasn't what he was paying attention to.

The large room had the same red banners on the wooden walls, like the ones he had seen downstairs, except they looked well cleaned, with much clearer details. Around the room were weapon rackets with all sorts of swords and daggers attached to them, all custom looking, some having special hilts. The display cases held a few well maintained and looked after swords, which looked like they had never been touched before. The wooden floors had royal looking carpeting all around the cases and the room, which was fairly furnished and cleaned. A throne sat at the end of the room in the middle, with a few, cat sized book shelves on each neighboring side of it. One comfy looking mat lie behind one of the bookshelves, with many scattered heavy blankets all over it, along with a red banner hanging down in front of the mat. The thing that seemed to grab Puss' attention from the scene, was the small, black musketeer hat with the yellow feather hanging off the side of the throne.

Puss' almost lost his meow at the sight of the room, as he let out a deep, shaky breath.

"Who are you?" Puss asked his master hesitantly.

He wanted to know the answer, now more than ever.

Yuan put up his paw for a brief moment to silence him, as he walked toward the throne casually. He picked up the hat from the throne and out it on with a spin, before grabbing something tucked away under it. A black cape. Yuan took a moment to stitch it on, before grabbing his sword cane, then walked back over to Puss.

"Allow me to introduce you to the, "real me." Master Yuan Shao, one of the last cat swordsmen of Spain, and one of the last surviving members of the Dragon Clan." Yuan told him with a bow.

"The Dragon Clan?" Puss echoed. "What the heck is that supposed to be?"

Yuan walked over to one of the banners in silence, staring at the image of the dragon.

"It was where I used to belong, and where I trained to become a sword master for nearly a decade. The Dragon Clan consisted of 10 masters, all of whom were cats," Yuan explained, "And now I am the last, or at least one of them." He said with a grave edge to his voice.

"So do you like, you know, have any enemies?" Puss asked curiously.

Yuan continued to stare at the banner blankly. "We did. That sword that you used on me yesterday with the snake hilt, once belonged to one of my rivals from the Snake Clan, Dragon Clan's greatest enemy." Yuan informed him.

"Why were you guys rivals?" Puss asked, starting to get intrigued with the subject.

"That, is something I do not know of," Yuan replied, "The Snake Clan has just been our natural enemies. Only the first leaders would have known why their rivalry with us was so great." Yuan told him, his gaze darkening, as if he were looking into the past.

The old master cleared his throat, before walking over to the throne. "Now, this is where you will be training every week. I expect to see you here 5 days a week, no exceptions," He told Puss sharply, now changing the subject. "If you want to learn from the best, then you have to act, like the best. That's my philosophy, and it would do you some good to listen to it."

Puss stared around the room, not listening to a word he was saying. Instead, he was examining a small painting on the wall, of a black and white kitten. It was tucked in a white blanket, its blue eyes glowing happily.

"Youngster, are you listening to a word I am saying?!" The old master asked sternly.

"Uh- er- yes sir!" Puss quickly straightened himself, his eyes fixed right on the speaker.

"What were you staring into space for? Huh?" Yuan asked him with a suspicious glare.

"I- I was just wondering who was in that portrait," Puss stammered nervously.

Yuan glanced in the direction of the kitten, his fur starting to lie straight again.

"My daughter," He replied bluntly, but quietly.

"Where is she?" Puss asked.

"I never knew her," Yuan told him, his head lowered.

"Then how could you know how she-"

"Do have any more questions other than about my daughter?" Yuan snapped suddenly, his fur bristling and his teeth bared.

The sudden fearsome image of his mentor shocked Puss. He was acting so protective about the subject of his daughter…. But why? But Puss soon figured it was none of his business, though he couldn't help but wonder about it.

"N- No master," Puss stammered, lowering his head with shame.

Yuan closed his eyes briefly, as his fur flattened again, probably realizing how suddenly defensive he had acted over the subject.

"I apologize for my sudden anger toward you," Yuan said silently with a dip of his head.

"Now…. Where was I?" He wondered for a minute, obviously struggling to remember something. "Oh yes, your outfit," He muttered, before walking over to his throne briefly.

He pulled out a chest from under it, and retrieved a few things from it before closing the chest and replacing it back under the throne.

Puss could see three different items in his arms. A belt, another black cape, and a hat, but with no feather like his master's hat had.

"Put these on," Yuan muttered stubbornly.

It had only taken Puss a minute to put his full outfit on. He examined the hat, looking for the feather.

"Hey, why don't I get a feather like you?" Puss complained.

"You need to earn it first," Yuan told him without hesitation. "If you want a feather, then you need to show me you have what it takes to be a true swordsman, starting tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? I thought we were training today!" Puss pointed out.

"No, I said I would SHOW you the training place. You take the rest of today off, but be good. I will come get you tomorrow for your first assignment tomorrow," Master Yuan told him. "So run along now, boy, I bet you got better things to do other than sit here and listen to an old man ramble on," Yuan muttered.

"So I can go then?" Puss asked with surprise.

"Yes, go on, get out of here!" Yuan made a shooing motion with his paw, sending Puss darting out the door.

He sighed with amusement, watching his pupil depart. Yuan just knew that Puss was going to make a fine swordsman one day, it was only a matter of time…..

And patience.

* * *

Puss walked out the door of the deserted house, now starting his way back home. But he wasn't surprised to see Cloud, waiting right outside for him next to a large tree. She ran towards Puss at the sight of him.

"There you are! I thought the Captain had cooked you for dinner for sure! What were you doing in the old, abandoned house?" Cloud asked, gazing at his body from his feet to his face. "And what's with the- outfit?"

Puss couldn't read her expression, which made him slightly nervous about what she actually thought about the things he was wearing.

"It's my new hero outfit," Puss quickly replied, not being able to think of anything else. "Do you like it?" He asked.

In his mind, his thoughts were totally different. _She hates it! She totally hates! I look absolutely ridiculous in this outfit!_ Puss thought, doing a face palm in his head.

"I think it looks awesome on you."

"Wait- what?" Puss asked, slightly confused.

"What do you mean what? I think the whole thing looks great on you!" Cloud exclaimed. "I think it makes you look more….. Handsome."

Puss' ears pricked with surprise. "You do? Really?"

"Of course. I think you are," Cloud told him with a smile.

"Thanks." Puss replied with a shy laugh.

Again, he could feel it again. The strange thing that made him start to move closer to her. Their faces drew closer and closer, their mouths almost touching, but Puss hesitated at the last moment.

Why did he keep feeling this way around her? Was it right for him to get so close? Would she like it? Did she feel the same way about him?

All this questions popped up in his head, which made his worry about how she would react if he continued doing this.

Cloud sighed with stress. "Their it is again," she muttered under her breath.

"What?" Puss asked, starting to feel he had made her unhappy with his actions.

He was starting to feel confused. Whenever he got close to Cloud, she hesitated. Whenever Cloud got close to him, HE hesitated. So why did they keep acting this way towards each other?

"Never mind, it's nothing," Cloud said swiftly. "Let's just go-"

They were interrupted by a low voice behind them. "What are you two doing?"

It was Clovis.

"Nothing that concerns you," Puss growled.

Throughout his 6 years of knowing Clovis, he and Cloud had been constantly bullied by him. Puss suddenly felt it was time to end that, right here, right now.

"Yeah, and what might that be? Taking her as a mate?" Clovis spat back.

"What?" Puss asked with a laugh. "We are FRIENDS Clovis, which you are nowhere close to getting with me, or her," Puss insisted. "So back off, NOW."

"Or what?" Clovis challenged, getting in Puss' face.

"Clovis stop it!" Cloud protested.

"Not until he answers my question first," Clovis demanded.

Puss gripped his sword eagerly. "Or I'm going to have to each you a lesson."

Clovis went wide eyed at the sentence, then let out a laugh.

"Wait a minute, I know what is going on here. You want to fight me, so that you can get Cloud all to yourself, when I don't push you around anymore so that way you can mate with her without having deal with a challenge. Isn't that right?" Clovis asked, now glaring at Puss through narrowed eyes.

"No," Puss said firmly. "Now I won't ask you again Clovis, leave, before I make you."

Clovis hissed with rage as he readied his back legs for a pounce. But Cloud got in between before he could.

"I said stop, both of you!" Cloud shouted. "Clovis, I'm with Puss, leave before I get the captain, NOW," Cloud stated firmly.

Clovis just scoffed with disbelief, shaking his head with a chuckle. "You just don't get it do you? You are mine Cloud…. Forever! And there is nothing you can do about it!" Clovis swore before disappearing down the road.

"What were you going to do with that sword?" Cloud demanded once Clovis was gone.

"Cloud I wasn't-"

"Oh sure, that explains why you were ready to take it out of the sheathe! Puss, you can't just go around intimidating people just because you got named a hero! Clovis is a jerk, but that doesn't give you the right to kill him! Puss what were you thinking?" Cloud asked him with disbelief, her fur bristling.

"Cloud-" Puss tried to get her attention, but Cloud walked away from him, down the dirt road.

"Whatever Puss," she replied carelessly.

Puss stopped in his tracks, sighing with frustration as he put his head in his paws. He kicked the dirt hard with one foot, frustrated and furious about the stupid move he had made on Clovis.

_I wasn't going to kill Clovis! How could Cloud dare think that about me?_ Puss thought angrily. _Fine, she can think what she wants._

For all he knows she probably didn't care one bit about him now!

Puss started down the road after a moment, furious, but satisfied at the same time.

But little did he know, Cloud did care about him still….. A lot more then he could have ever imagined. Even after 3, long years… Puss was about to experience something that he had had never felt before. Love.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed the chapter. You obviously know what to expect next chapter. All I will say is... Romance. That's all you need you know. Yeah you get it. XD**

**Chapter 7: Puss, now at age 20 has been training alongside his mentor Yuan for a long while now in San Ricardo. Despite Puss' smooth progress in his training, Yuan is not happy with one thing: His friendship with Cloud. Yuan insists that she will only get in the way of his training, but Puss goes highly against his mentor's order, when Cloud reveals her true feelings for Puss... **


	7. New Feelings

**I hope I didn't keep any of you waiting, for those of you who were looking for chapter 7. ;D I know it is a short chapter, but I know most of you will like this one... especially all those romance lovers out there too. XD**

* * *

**Three Years later…..**

Puss crept into the old building, leading to Yuan's hideout. He casually walked the rest of the way until he reached the second floor, his footsteps creaking with every step.

Puss was now used to the creaking, as he had been inside this place at least a thousand times for about three years now. The old building apparently wasn't as unstable as Puss had once thought it had been, but despite this he continued to be cautious.

During the three years he had been training, Yuan has always said he was doing well, yet not good enough to earn the feather for his hat. Puss had worked extra hard, struggled to master the basics and succeeded, yet he was being told that he hadn't earned it yet!

Puss opened the secret entrance beside the bookshelf, taking a torch with him as her continued down the dark stairway. After reaching the bottom, he placed the torch on the metal holder, so he could use it on his way back up. He took out his sword, and pushed his new dragon hilt into the keyhole of the wooden door. A moment later it slid open for him, as Puss continued onward, closing the door behind him. And sure enough, there was the destroyed staircase he had expected to find, charming as ever. He leapt to the top on all fours, standing back up as he approached Yuan's hideout. He didn't see the old master at first, until he eyes rested upon the throne. Yuan's eyes were closed, but Puss knew that he was awake.

"You're not asleep are you master?" Puss asked with amusement.

Yuan's eyes opened slowly, gazing back up at his pupil.

"No, I'm not asleep you fool!" He said as he cuffed his apprentice playfully, but sharply over the ear, making Puss chuckle.

He had to admit, Yuan may be an old man, but he sure did have a sense of humor.

"So, what are we going to do today, Master?" Puss asked curiously, taking his sword out of his sheathe, giving it a few test swings.

"I have something I need to talk to you about first," Yuan insisted.

Puss sheathed his sword at his mentor's request. What did his master want to tell him, that he couldn't possibly have asked him about already?

"Is something wrong senor?" Puss asked.

"You know what's wrong," Yuan replied in a serious tone.

"Uh…. Could you be a little clearer?" Puss requested.

"That white she cat," Yuan responded, starting to get annoyed.

"You mean Cloud?" Puss asked in a surprised tone.

"Yes, if that is her name," his master replied swiftly.

"What's wrong with Cloud? She hasn't done anything wrong!" Puss insisted.

"You don't see it?" The old cat replied.

"What? Master, she is just a friend if that's what you are implying!" Puss told him, starting to also get annoyed.

First Clovis, then Humpty, and now Yuan thinks that she is his girlfriend! Why did everyone have to think that they were so close to each other?

Puss knew what the word girlfriend meant, but he didn't understand the feeling that caused it as well.

"Cloud may be your friend, but she will not stay that way forever. I see the way you two act around each other, don't think I can't see it! She will only distract you and get in the way of training, and if you want any chance of earning a feather, I am afraid that you have to end your friendship with Cloud," The old master explained.

Puss couldn't believe what he was hearing, as his eyes widened with disbelief. "What ?!"

"You want any chance of becoming a hero? Any chance at all?" Yuan asked loudly.

Puss nodded sadly in reply.

"Then you know what you have to do! I'm sorry Puss, but she will only get in the way in the future, you have to understand this. The sooner you understand, the better," Yuan explained more quietly, but firmly. "I want you to become a great swordsman, but that cannot be achieved if she keeps distracting you, is that clear?"

"I- I understand senor…." Puss lowered his head with sadness, gazing down at the ground in defeat.

"Now I want you to go out back and warm up on your sword form. I want you back here in no less than an hour," Yuan ordered.

"Yes master." Puss dipped his head in acknowledgment, before disappearing into the darkness.

* * *

Puss swung his sword across the wooden dummy swiftly, slicing in straight across the neck. He continued delivering heavy and brutal blows to the dummy's chest, not stopping to take a breath.

He was too angry to stop, he hated his master for what he had dared to tell him to do, but daren't go against his master's orders. They were only friends! Why did everybody else not see it that way?

Just as he was thinking about the topic, Puss could feel Cloud's presence behind him. But he kept swinging his sword as if she weren't there.

"Are you okay Puss?" Cloud asked worryingly, noticing how angered he looked.

Despite this, Puss continued to attack the dummy brutally, painfully ignoring her voice.

"Puss, are you just going to sit their swinging that thing all day?" Cloud asked, starting to get annoyed as she frowned at him.

Again, Puss just kept attacking the wooden dummy.

Finally, Cloud walked up to him from behind, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Would you stop for one minute and say something to me?!" Cloud demanding, starting to become very concerned and angry.

Puss finally stopped swinging his sword, not being able to ignore her anymore. And with a deep sigh, he explained the reason behind his actions.

"Yuan doesn't want us to be friends," Puss told her, sadness in his eyes. "He thinks that we are- you know," Puss explained reluctantly.

Cloud leaned in closer to him, with a longing look in her eyes.

"Do you feel that way about me?" She asked him silently.

But Puss hesitated, taking a step back from her nervously, though he could feel that same attraction again. "Cloud I- I don't know what to say…."

Puss could feel himself drifting off awkwardly.

"I know why we have been acting that way around each other, all these years now Puss," Cloud told him softly, taking a step forward again. "I have seen the hesitation in your eyes, yet you feel like you want to," Cloud insisted, feeling along his face with one of her paws softly. "I feel the same way around you."

"What are we feeling?" Puss whispered, feeling himself getting drawn into her eyes.

"I'll show you," Cloud told him quietly back, her mouth almost touching his. But at the last second she slightly moved it back.

"But you need to stop hesitating," she said softly.

Puss relaxed himself, as he pushed himself closer to her, their lips starting to touch. He pecked her lightly on the mouth a few times, feeling his heart beat much faster than normal. Finally he wrapped his arms around her, kissing her on the mouth passionately and repeatedly. They purred loudly with affection as Puss swapped around with her, pushing her up against a wall, while continuing to kiss her wildly with affection.

He knew what he had been feeling all this time now: Love.

"I love you Cloud," Puss purred as they kissed.

"I know... I feel the same way," She replied, as he continued to kiss her deeply. They tails swished rapidly and excitedly as Cloud felt around his orange fur, enjoying the feel of him, as Puss did the same with her. He could feel a strange urge growing inside him as he did this.

They continued to kiss through the whole hour, forging a strong love between both of the felines.

* * *

And watching the scene with anger, was Clovis. He glared at them both with anger and disbelief, before disappearing out of sight. "That Orange furball will pay for what he has done to me!" He thought with rage as he slipped away. "HE WILL PAY!"

* * *

**Again, I know it was a short chapter, and I apologize because of that. However, I hope you enjoyed the romance I added this chapter. :) But the chapters will come back to normal after this, I assure you. A large one is coming up next.**

**Chapter 8 preview: Puss meets with Yuan the next day, where he is finally given a assignment to prove his skills. Yuan aldo takes him to a place that all cats favor as a haven, and during their visit their, Yuan teaches him the adult side of being a cat along the way, where Puss starts to understand his feelings for Cloud... and the sudden urge he now has around female cats.**

**REVIEWS are much appreciated! **


	8. The Cat Cantina

**For those of you that were waiting for this chapter, sorry for the long delay! Again, I have been busy with other things, but I hope this chapter makes up for the delay! Enjoy! :D**

* * *

**The next day later…**

It was a warm and sunny day today, just the way Puss liked it. He lie propped against a large tree, waiting patiently for his Mentor to arrive. The Orphanage was still right behind him, standing as tall as it always had been the day he had been put there. But Puss hadn't been alone under that tree, for the short amount of time he had been there. Cloud sat beside him, scrunched up close to him. They faces were both closed in, kissing each other lightly on the lips. They both stopped briefly to breathe, resting against the tree.

"You know you have to go soon," Puss reminded her softly.

Cloud gave him another kiss on the mouth, starting to slowly push herself closer to him.

"How much longer do we have?" She whispered back.

"Maybe a few more minutes," Puss replied.

"Then why don't we make these few minutes worth it?" Cloud said, as they started to kiss again.

After a few minutes of that, Puss stopped briefly, clearing having something on his mind.

"What's wrong?" His girlfriend asked him affectionately.

"You know how my master would react if he found out what we were doing yesterday, in the training yard," Puss replied, feeling along her soft, white paws. "I'm just worried he will find out….."

Cloud felt along his orange chest fur, kissing him lightly on the mouth.

"He won't find out Puss," Cloud insisted, "And if he does, I'm sure he will understand."

And with that, they continued to kiss passionately, as Cloud moaned with pleasure when Puss deepened the kiss. But he quickly cut it off when he saw Yuan's yellow feather, appear just below the hill.

"He's here!" Puss frantically whispered.

They both giggled as they noticed the awkward position they were in after he had made the kiss deeper. Cloud scrambled out of it, giving Puss one last kiss on the lips.

"Don't keep me waiting," she purred tauntingly, before disappearing from sight.

Puss blushed at this, but quickly hid his expression, as his master approached him. Puss quickly fixed his ruffled fur with a quick groom, standing up from the ground attentively.

"Good morning my apprentice," Yuan greeted him casually, but firmly. "Staying out of trouble I hope?"

"Yes master!" Puss replied in his best serious tone.

He was afraid the wise master would catch whiff of a lie, but Yuan didn't seem to pick up a single thing.

"I also expect that you have learned quite a lot from that training yesterday?" Yuan asked.

"Yes Yuan, indeed," Puss replied.

It was true, he had been training that day, just not in the arts Yuan had been teaching him about…

"Good, you will need that for what we are about to do next," Yuan replied, satisfied.

"What would that be master?" Puss asked casually.

At the question being asked, Yuan pulled out a few scrolls from his belt, a total of 3, and unraveled them on the ground. As Puss examined each scroll closely, he now understood what they were: Wanted posters.

* * *

**The wanted posters**

**1\. Kitty Softpaws: 18 year old she cat and thief, wanted for 3,000 gold coins for MAJOR cases of stealing in Italy and Spain, including the theft of the infamous Mona Lisa. Alluring menace, and considered armed and very dangerous.**

**2\. The White Spirit: A 20 year old she cat, thief and con artist, wanted for 5,000 gold coins, for Major cases of thievery, assault, and stealing money from false lovers. (Male cats otherwise) VERY dangerous, and not to be engaged directly.**

**3\. Scar: A 21 year old male cat, wanted for 2,000 gold coins, for major cases of assault. Armed, and extremely dangerous and ruthless.**

* * *

"What are these for?" Puss asked confusingly, pointing to the posters.

"I've decided that you are ready for your first REAL, assignment," Yuan started.

"FINALLY!" Puss thought with satisfaction as he gazed down at the posters.

For 3 long years he had been training hard, waiting for a chance like this to show his skills. And now here he was, being told all about it.

"I want you to pick one of them," Yuan told him.

"Why?" Puss asked, slightly nervous that he knew what the answer was going to be.

His master looked him back in the eye, well, with his good eye. "Because we are going to capture ourselves a criminal."

Puss gazed back down at the posters, slightly nervous about his choice. He had never been outside San Ricardo before, let alone out of the main gate. And not only that, here he was, about to pick some criminal that he was about to go after! Sure, he had always wanted to be a hero, capture some villains, but now that he was about to do the real thing, it sounded very risky. However, his opinion changed when he saw one of the criminals: The White Spirit. When he thought about her, he knew that she couldn't possibly be that dangerous, could she? She sounded like a very tricky woman, but other than that, how could she possibly cause any trouble for him? Puss felt sure he could handle her very easily, but was she going to be his choice?

He looked over to Scar, sending a chill up his spine at the description. There was NO way that he would be his choice. So that left two. Either this "Kitty Softpaws cat" or The White Spirit. When he thought about it, Kitty did sound easier, but the other one had the larger reward. So at that moment, he knew what his choice would be.

"I'll go with that one." Puss pointed to the poster in the center of the three.

"Are you sure?" Yuan asked him cautiously, eying him as if telling him to reconsider.

"Yes master," Puss replied simply.

Yuan's expression suddenly softened at his answer. "Okay."

Puss frowned at his. "Okay? That's it?" Puss asked, slightly surprised.

He had expected Yuan to say something else, judging from the way he had been looking at him, but he hadn't bothered to budge.

Yuan simply shrugged in reply. "What? I asked you to choose, and you did, what do you want me to say, boy?" He asked firmly.

Puss stayed silent in reply.

"Good," Yuan replied, suddenly starting down the hill.

Puss darted after the surprisingly fast old man, nearly tripping over an old tree stump.

"Where are we going?" He asked frantically.

"A place I should have taken you when I had the chance," Yuan responded bluntly.

"Are we going outside San Ricardo, Master?" Puss asked.

"No, now stop with the questions! I will explain when we get there!" Yuan snapped, making Puss shut his mouth.

* * *

About an hour later, they soon arrived at a dark alley. The disgusting smell of trash filled Puss' nostrils. The sounds of rats squeaking occasionally sounded from the darker corners on the short alley. As Puss and Yuan continued down it, Puss could start to hear the faint sound of music coming from around the corner, getting louder as they reached it. As they turned the corner Puss found himself face to face with two wooden double doors. Music sounded loudly from inside, followed by a few voices and laughs.

"Master…. What is this place?" Puss asked, staring at Yuan with wonder.

Yuan looked back at his apprentice briefly with his one good eye, grinning mysteriously.

"A place I should have taken you a long time ago," He replied.

The master walked right up to both of the doors and pushed both of them open with his arms, as Puss stepped in behind him. A ray of blinding light hit him in the face, as the loud sound of guitar music flooded his ears. When his eyes finally adjusted, he realized it was only coming from lanterns. But he was amazed at what he was seeing.

Cats. Everywhere! There were all sorts of cats, white cats, striped cats, spotted cats, ANY cat you could think of. Some looked like travelers, wearing boots, belts, even hats! Others were armed with swords or rarely, a cat sized flintlock. Many were sitting around laughing and talking loudly as they watched two twin male cats play guitars on the stage, side by side. Just about every cat was drinking milk, or some other drink Puss couldn't recognize. They were mostly sitting at tables, or on stools.

"I haven't seen this many cats in my life!" Puss thought with amazement.

Yuan stepped in front of him.

"Puss, my apprentice, welcome to the Glitter box!" He shouted joyfully over the music.

"What is this place?" Puss asked again with amazement.

"It's a Cat Cantina of course, you have not lived your life as a cat until you have been to one," Master Yuan informed him.

"Now follow me, I want you to meet someone." Yuan's tail flickered for him to follow, as he made his way to the bartender's counter.

They took seats at some nearby stools a few minutes later. Puss took a glance at the two male cats on the stage.

"Who are they?" he asked curiously.

Yuan glanced back at what he was looking at, frowning at the sight of them.

"The Rodriguez brothers," A voice answered behind them both, slightly startling Puss.

He looked behind him to find himself face to face with a muscular black tom cat, with long whiskers. Yuan smiled at the sight of him.

They both started laughing as the two embraced each other briefly.

"Raul, you old fool where have you been?" Yuan asked, ruffling the fur on his head playfully.

"Who are you calling an old fool, Yuan?" The black tom replied with a laugh, patting him on the back.

"Anyhow, I'm doing fine, how about you old friend?" He asked in his normal, deep voice.

"I'm doing fine thanks." Yuan replied.

"Who's the young lad you brought with yah today?" Raul asked curiously, smiling at Puss' presence.

Yuan glanced back at his young pupil beside him.

"Ah, I forgot to mention him. Raul, this is my new apprentice Puss," Yuan said.

"Good to meet you, son," Raul said in a friendly tone, sticking his paw out to Puss.

Puss took his paw, smiling shyly. "You as well sir," Puss responded politely.

"Such manners," Raul complicated, his eye lighting up. "Yuan I got to say, old friend, even after all these years, you sure know how to pick a good apprentice."

Puss rolled his eyes at the conversation when Raul wasn't looking, earning a glare from his master.

The only reason he had been acting polite at all, was because his master had insisted that he act this around other people, because, "respect," was soooooooo important. Puss was nice to people often and did use manners, but there were times when he didn't feel he had to use them, EVERY TIME he was referring to someone. His master's lifestyle frustrated Puss at times. He had taught Puss to use the manners, yet he NEVER seemed to use them himself! For Puss, he thought it was typical of Yuan to be that way, yet there were things Puss wished he knew about his mysterious mentor. For the few moments he had spent, watching him laugh and catch up with his old friend, Puss felt he was seeing a whole new side of Yuan. He never acted this friendly, and didn't seem to have much of a sense of humor, though at certain times, he seemed to show Puss that he did have one. What had happened in his master's past that had made him shut down in that old house so easily? Did it have something to do with what happened to his daughter? Or was it something else Puss just couldn't see? These were questions Puss had for three years, as he trained alongside him. But questions that would probably never be answered.

"Hey Raul." Yuan's voice drew Puss back from his thoughts.

"Could you please get this cat a milk?" He asked, starting to take out a coin pouch.

"Hey, put away the coin pouch, the milk's on me," Raul insisted.

Yuan nodded in acknowledgement, putting away the coin pouch. He gave Raul a wink, before the bartender disappeared through a wooden door. Puss felt suspicious about this gesture, but didn't say anything.

"Is he good friend or something?" Puss asked, already knowing the answer.

"Who Raul? Yeah, if that's whatcha want to call him. Raul was one of my dearest friends in my younger years, who I did teach sword training to. One of my first pupils as well," Yuan added. "He and I have been through a lot together in the past, doing all sorts of contracts and missions together. Good man, that black cat."

"Sounds like you two really hit it off nice," Puss remarked, paying half attention to the two cats playing guitars on the stage.

"Ha, not all the time," Yuan responded with a laugh. "The one thing I used to not like about Raul was that he always took all the she cats! That Raul….. quite a ladies' man he is."

Puss' ears stood up in surprise. "Really? Raul was?" He asked.

"Yep, a cat like him, you wouldn't think would attract all the she cats, but he did," Yuan told him.

But as he finished the sentence, Puss could detect a sense of longingness or guilt in his voice, as if he missed something.

Or someone.

But again, Puss stayed silent, keeping his thoughts concealed. "It's probably nothing," Puss thought to himself.

After a minute passed by, Raul soon returned with his wooden cup of milk. He set it on the counter in front of his paws, as Puss turned around in his stool.

"Thanks," He said to Raul, before chugging the milk, not thinking twice about it.

Or rather, what was in it.

Smiles started to appear on Raul and Yuan's faces, as Puss finished the milk. As he swallowed the last sip of milk, he could feel a strange and energetic, but good feeling pulse through his veins, as if he was running a marathon.

"Wha- what did you put in this?" Puss stammered, as a strange flavor started to appear on his tongue.

"That my boy, is catnip, good huh?" Raul asked with a grin.

"Yeah…. What exactly is it?" Puss asked curiously.

"Well…..…Let's just say it's something that makes us cats hyper," Raul responded, as if it were complicated to explain.

"But you shouldn't give it to younger cats, they can't handle it like us adult cats can," Yuan told him from behind.

"That's right! You drank catnip, so you're in the club now, lad!" Raul said, giving Puss a pat on the back.

"The club of what?" Puss asked, slightly confused.

"Adults of course! You aren't a youngster any more, sense you just drank catnip!"

Suddenly, Yuan sat up from beside the two.

"I'll let you two get to know each other, I'll be right back, got to check on something," He told them.

"Move faster you old geezer!" Raul called over the music after Yuan, grinning.

"Shut up you old fool," Yuan muttered back at him, also slightly grinning as he continued toward the door.

And with that, Raul turned back to Puss. They were both silent for a few moments, watching the show on the stage, until Puss spoke up.

"So what changes when you become an adult cat?" Puss finally asked.

He couldn't help but wonder this. Yuan had always told him that things would change as he got older, even though he had been 17 at the time. Ever sense then, Puss had always wanted to know what changed when you got older. The question had tugged at his mind every day, and he so he finally decided that Raul, of all people would know how to answer it.

"Well, a lot of things actually," Raul admitted. "For one, you tend to get more aggressive. But you know, that's normal for us guys. The other thing that changes, is your voice gets deeper, like mine for example," Raul explained.

Puss nodded in reply, gesturing for him to continue. "And what else?"

"And this is the last, and most important thing you need to know, the one that you have probably noticed already," Raul said in a serious tone. "You get more attracted to the she cats."

This one, Puss already understood by a long shot. He had felt this same feeling ever sense he was fourteen, about Cloud. But then there was the urge…. Always the same urge he had around she cats. But what was it? That was a question Puss knew he had to ask.

"Uh- sorry to interrupt but I had a question…" Puss started.

Raul nodded for him to continue. "Go ahead son, ask me anything."

"Do you ever- get this weird urge around she cats?" He asked nervously.

He wasn't sure how Raul would act to the question, and that was what made him feel this way.

"Weird urge? Oh, you're talking about that urge…" Raul said, starting to grin.

Puss felt they were on the same page at this gesture. "Yeah, that urge."

"Well… that urge you are feeling, is an urge all us male cats have, when we get to that age. Son, what you are feeling is the urge to mate."

Puss couldn't believe what he was hearing. He knew very well what the word meant, but he had not known, that all this time, THAT, was what he had been feeling around Cloud.

"Is there any way to hold it back?" Puss asked, now wanting a possible solution.

"Nope, sorry about that, that's just the way nature works with us cats. You see, we start to feel this energy, start to emit from the females. That is what attracts us males to them to- you know….. "make love with them," Raul explained.

"Why, do you have someone "special?" Raul suddenly asked with another grin.

Puss hesitated, knowing that he couldn't let Yuan know that he was in love with Cloud. And Raul was a clear connection to Yuan.

"Come on!" Raul urged. "I know that old fool thinks that love gets in the way, but I don't believe him. I promise you I won't tell," Raul insisted.

He leaned closer to Puss, so close Puss could smell his milky breath. "Then maybe I could give you some, "man to man," tips on how to get the ladies." Raul told him with a wink of an eye.

With a reluctant sigh, Puss finally gave in. He had to admit, he did like this cat, and for some reason, he felt he could trust this stranger with his secret. "Yes."

"Ha! I knew it! You youngsters always took right after me," Raul said with a chuckle. "Don't worry, I won't say anything to Yuan," he told him with another wink. "This can be our: "male cat to male cat secret."

Puss smiled briefly, and gave a silent nod.

"Alright then, let me give you a few tips on her then…" Raul insisted.

* * *

As they continued to talk, the two brothers playing guitars started- somewhat of a conversation.

"I bet I could play a whole lot better than you could!" One cat insisted.

"You? Your music sounds like it's coming from a broken violin!" the other protested, still continuing to play.

"Oh yeah? Well your guitar sounds like a sword scratching metal!" The first brother countered. "It would probably scare away all the she cats in Spain."

"You mean attract them all!" The 2nd brother countered, starting to speed up his playing. "I'm going to get a mate before you do!"

"No you won't!" The 1st one rejected.

"Yes I will."

"Oh yeah? Not with a broken tail you won't!" The first brother insisted, slamming his guitar onto his brothers tail, sending a loud yowl of pain from him. He immediately stopped playing and turned to face his brother.

Little did they know however, they had attracted the attention of every cat in the Cantina.

"Are you crazy!?" The brother shouted, rubbing his hit tail softly.

"No, I'm just getting a mate before you!"

"You wish!" The two brothers lifted there guitars, threatening to hit each other, making some cats laugh hysterically at the scene.

Puss watched the scene along with them.

Raul did a facepalm, letting out a frustrated sigh as he sat up from his chair.

"Wait one minute, I gotta deal with these clowns," Raul growled, walking up onto the stage.

Before either of them could react, Raul picked both of the brothers up by the necks of their pelts, making them yowl with fear and drop their now wrecked guitars.

"What was the last thing I told you fools before I let you both play on this stage, FOR THE 100TH TIME?!"Raul growled, his fur bristling.

"Awe, come on Raul! We- we weren't fighting, you got it all wrong!" One of the brothers protested, as he dragged them towards the back door.

"Yeah, come on man! It was all a misunderstanding!" The other agreed.

"Tell it to the Captain," Raul snapped, nearly at the door. "I don't want no fights in my bar today!"

But a voice interrupted the scene. "Raul, put them down!"

Raul turned around to find Yuan, standing in the middle of the room. "But Yuan-"

Yuan mouthed something to him before he could finish the sentence, gesturing for him to come to him.

Raul let out a frustrated sigh, before forcing the two Rodriguez brothers to sit on the floor.

"Stay put or you're dead," he growled before walking to Yuan.

Yuan frantically whispered something that Puss couldn't hear, which he then saw Raul nod in response to. As they walked by him, he could make out the last part of the conversation.

"Just find those two idiots something to do. We don't need to get rid of irritating customers, just find them something to do," Yuan insisted quietly, before sitting back down beside Puss.

"What was that all about?" Puss asked.

"Just taking care of them in a less, "violent" way," Yuan responded.

Raul returned a moment later.

"What did you make them do?" Yuan asked.

Raul's mouth formed a sly smile. "I told them to try their luck with a couple she cats."

A moment of silence passed, before Yuan and Raul burst out laughing.

"What am I kidding? They're never going to come close to finding a mate!" Raul said with amusement.

Once their laughter had died down, the three cats turned their attention to one of the brothers, who was just being kissed by a she cat. But one thing about it stood out.

The snowy, white fur.

Raul's mouth was widened with shock. "Heh….. didn't think that cat had it in him, eh?" Raul said with shock.

But the fur immediately caught Puss and Yuan's attention. The sight of the fur was so alarming, Puss knew who it had to belong to. "Wait a minute-"

Yuan ripped out the poster of their criminal they were looking for from his belt.

He and Puss gazed back up from the picture, to the white cats face. Just as the white she cat eyed them both.

Puss knew it was her, just by looking into her eyes.

The White spirit.

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**Hehe, cliffhanger ending! And I just wanted to let you guys know, I do NOT own the White Spirit. A.K.A Lechat. This is Sido 4727' OC. If you have read her story, then you understand who her OC is. ALl credit goes to her for the creation of Lechat Next chapter: The chase will be on! **

**REVIEWS ARE MUCH WANTED! ;D **

**Chapter 8 preview: Puss pursues the very criminal that he is assigned to catch, only to find it's much harder than he thinks. Especially since the cat he's chasing is interested in him...**


	9. Lechat

**Finally! Sorry about the delay, again, that's what happens when you have two stories going on! :/ **

**Note for Sido, creator of Lechat: I just wanted to let you know that in this story, I have decided that Puss and Lechat won't be siblings in this story, for a few reasons you will see in this chapter, and the next. However, I hope you enjoy seeing your OC in this story.**

**Diclamier: I DO NOT OWN Lechat! All credit goes to Sido 4727 for allowing me to use such a well done character! GOOD JOB SIDO! XD (duh!)**

**REVIEWS ARE DESPERATELY WANTED! (sorry for the selfish request, but they are)**

* * *

Before Puss could react, the white she cat chucked at knife at him, which whizzed past his face harmlessly. He unsheathed his sword and lunged at her, only to find that the White Spirit was using one of the Rodriguez brothers as a shield. She put her dagger to his throat, clearly threatening to kill him. Puss and Yuan readied their swords tips on her, as shocked or stunned cats backed away swiftly from the scene.

"Sorry ginger boy, I don't have the time right now," she said seductively before tossing the brother at Puss.

Raul attempted to grab her from behind, but she danced out of reach, and sprinted out the door.

"STOP THAT CAT!" Yuan shouted.

Puss started out the door after the White she cat, followed by Yuan, who surprisingly managed to keep pace with him. The ginger tom chased her down the dark alley, catching a glimpse of her turning a corner. When he had turned it, he ran into two, heavily armored knocked out guards, who were moaning in pain from their injuries. The White Spirit raced down the market district in plain sight, as panicked citizens ducked away from the chase. A group of nearby guards were immediately alerted at the sight of her, and gave chase.

"Stop that cat! VAMOS, VAMOS!" The Captain and his men charged after the white she cat, pikes and swords unsheathed.

Even though she had managed to stay ahead of them, the white cat ran straight into another group of guards blocking her path.

"Ha, ha! We got you now, you naughty cat!" The captain said triumphantly with a grin.

The two groups of guards helped formed a circle around her, their weapons readied. The white she cat just smirked at them, before leaping onto a wall above her.

"Sorry boys, I can't play with you right now," she said with a laugh, before jumping onto a nearby building. "Stupid humans, they never learn!"

Puss hopped onto the same wall and continued pursuing her. Meanwhile, Yuan ran to a stop below him, heaving with exhaustion.

"I can't go any further Puss, go on without me! I'll catch up….. eventually," he wheezed, using the wall as a rest.

With a nod, Puss leapt onto the building. He gazed around the perimeter, searching for the White Spirit cautiously, his sword readied. Suddenly, something soft hit him hard from behind, knocking him onto his stomach as he scrambled back up. And sure enough, there was the White Spirit.

Puss couldn't help thinking that she looked even more beautiful and stunning up close….. for a criminal. He could defiantly see how she could con male cats that easily, a pretty cat like her, how could they not?

But he shook his head repeatedly. Was he getting attracted to her? No, of course not, he couldn't be! He loved Cloud! Besides, this cat didn't even keep real loves.

"So you're the legendary White Spirit eh?" Puss asked with amusement. "I expected you to be taller."

"Oh did you now? Sorry to disappoint you than, ginger boy," she said harshly.

"Don't make me have to hurt you," Puss warned. "If you come with me without struggle, then I can guarantee your safety."

Again, he couldn't help looking at her in that way.

The white she cat let out a laugh. "Please, you think I would go with you? That's a nice offer, but I think I'll pass."

Puss pulled his sword out on her.

"Miss, I am afraid that is not a decision, you are coming with me now," he said more sternly, trying his best to sound tough.

This she cat wasn't going to get away from him that easily!

The White Spirit looked offended for a split second.

"Now, that is not a very respectful thing to say to a lady. I think I need to teach you a lesson."

Puss didn't hesitate to lunge at her, only to have his opponent dance away harmlessly to the side. He darted back around to face her, only to be hit from behind! Groaning with pain, Puss sat up from the ground, glaring back up at the White Spirit. With a laugh, she threw back her head.

"If there's one thing I learned about you men, it's that you are all, just too reckless," she taunted, taking out a sword of her own.

Puss scrambled back up from the ground, readying his sword hastily. His opponent's blade crossed over his as a sign of respect, and signaling the start of a duel.

This was the one thing Yuan had always told him to do, as an honorable and fair way of starting a duel. If your opponent refused to do this at the start, then they would be considered, "dishonorable." And Puss found it surprising, that this cat of all people, would ACTUALLY follow that rule.

They both put one hand behind their backs, not breaking eye contact for one second. Puss decided to make the first move, taking a few quick slashes with his sword, only to have them easily blocked. The White Spirit clashed with him once more, counter attacking him from the sides swiftly. Luckily, Puss managed to block these attempted moves. He deflected her blade to the side, but she immediately rebalanced herself and continued attacking him. When she had just reached the edge of the roof, the white she cat leapt onto a wooden beam above them, extending to another house across from them. She readied herself casually as Puss stepped onto the beam, taking one captious paw step after another in an effort to keep him himself balanced. Shocked citizens from below watched in awe as the two cats approached each other, blades readied.

"You think you can best me, handsome?" The White Spirit taunted him with a smirk.

"Would you like to find out, witch?" Puss shot back, earning another offended look from her.

"Now that was just rude," she hissed, before starting a sudden attack on him.

They exchanged cautious slashes at each other to be sure that they stayed balance, not really doing any progress on winning. Puss decided to take a reckless chance when the white she cat went off balance, but she leapt behind him at the last second, leaving Puss unbalanced. He quickly turned around, stopping her blade just in time with his own before it could reach him. He brought his blade back and continued to slash and clash against her blade, deflecting multiple blows away from him. After a few more minutes of combat, they both gained distance from each other, heaving with exhaustion.

"You aren't bad, ginger boy," she breathed with a grin.

Suddenly, Puss had an idea to stall her, as he eyed the rope holding the beam below her.

"Senorita, how about you tell me your name, so that way I don't have to keep calling you the White cat?" He asked, while backing up cautiously.

The white cat smiled at him slyly. "Lechat, how bout yours ginger?"

"Puss," he replied casually, eying the rope hold, just below her legs now.

"Well, it was nice to meet you…."

Suddenly, before Puss could react, Lechat tossed a dagger at ANOTHER rope, which also held the beam.

And it was right below Puss' feet.

Lechat did a back flip in mid air, landing on the building behind her just as the beam snapped and started to collapse. Puss ran forward as fast as he could, leaping towards the building Lechat was on. His paws were only inches away from the edge, but he hadn't been able to reach it, as his body started to fall. His made one desperate attempt to save himself, by grabbing onto the remained of the beam with his claws, now hanging limply in the air.

He wasted no time climbing to the top, where Lechat waited patiently, whistling a tune while he climbed. When his paw had reached the top, he immediately expected Lechat to take him hostage or something.

But to his surprise, all he did was offer a paw to help him up.

He looked at her paw in surprise, than back at Lechat, who just let out a laugh at seeing his expression. She grabbed his orange paw, pulling the grateful (But surprised) Puss back onto the building.

"Why did you rescue me?" Puss demanded, as soon as his feet touched the roof again.

Lechat just studied him curiously, before Puss got a reply.

"I see the way you look at me, don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about," Lechat insisted.

Puss scoffed in reply, gazing at the town house below him.

"So what, you rescued me just because you think I like you? Because I assure you that is not the case!" Puss said, trying to be serious about his tone of voice.

"Are you sure about that?" Lechat asked, hiding an amused grin.

Puss lowered his hat briefly, still gazing down at the dirt road below him. "Well, let's see…"

Suddenly, Puss swiftly turned around and tossed himself at Lechat, his sword drawn. He rolled around with Lechat for a few minutes, still attempting to arrest her. However, he only succeeded in getting LECHAT, on top of him, in an awkward position. But he was surprised to see that she didn't bother to take out her dagger, even though Puss had lost his sword.

"Oooooo, how romantic," Lechat said with a laugh, getting off the top of him.

"Tell you what, "Puss in Boots," if you change your mind about this, "mistaken liking," then I will be at the abandoned warehouse west of here. And if you decide to come, then let's just say that we can attend to more….. Private matters," Lechat said, with a slight seductiveness to her voice.

At first, Puss was about to right away reject the offer. But then, another idea popped into his mind, an idea that would get her arrested for sure.

And all he had to do, was accept her invitation. She would never suspect that he would try to arrest her, as long as he managed to make her think that he trusted her. Puss knew for sure that she would try to double cross him, however, he decided that he would be the first one to double cross her!

"Alright then Senorita, I will be sure to think about it," Puss assured her.

"I look forward to seeing you there…" She said slyly, before disappearing from the rooftop.

* * *

"You let her get away?" Yuan asked with disbelief, after hearing his story about the chase.

"Master, she was too fast, she managed to slip right through my paws before I could react!" Puss explained swiftly.

When his master looked more distressful, Puss added, "But I know where she is now, I plan on going after her tonight Master, I know I can catch her!"

Yuan sighed with frustration, looking back at his apprentice.

"You'd better," he said firmly, "I expect to see that witch in chains, by tomorrow!" He said aloud, before sitting back down in his throne.

"Yes Master." Puss dipped his head respectfully, before walking over to the weapon rack.

A small case lie under the rack, which Puss knew held handcuffs. However, he knew that these weren't just any handcuffs.

Puss opened the box, to reveal a extremely large pair of pure gold, handcuffs.

These Royal, England handcuffs were only ones in the world, that were crafted so well, that they could, NEVER, be broken out of from whatsoever unless you had the key. If Puss could just get this on Lechat, there would be absolutely no way that she could escape him…. And then the reward would be his.

As he finished placing the handcuffs into his knapsack, the old clock against the wall started to ring. It read: Midnight. (or 12:AM) That's when Puss realized, that now was the time for him to pay a visit to Lechat. He knew judging from Lechat's tone of voice, what she intended on doing with Puss. But, what she probably didn't know, was that she wouldn't get what she wants…

Because Puss had other plans for her.

* * *

**Alright everyone! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! **

**Note for Sido: Sorry if I didn't match Lechat's personality all the way , but I figured sense this took place in her late teens, that she would be different then how she was in your story. But nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed it! ;D**

**Again, thanks Sido, and give her credit for allowing me to use Lechat! Thanks Sido!**

**Chapter 10 preview: Puss pays his visit to Lechat, where he gets quite a welcome from the sly she cat... but Puss stays true to his intentions, only to find himself in more trouble!**

**And please take my review requests seriously, sense I have already gotten this far in the story! You know I try my hardest in this story, please show me that you want me to continue this story by reviewing. And yes! Of course I will keep writing, but I need you guys to show me that you like the story.**

**P.S Please be sure to leave a vote in my new poll that i posted on my profile! It is about what i should write next, and I need your opinions on it quick!**


	10. Just like me

**Finally! Again, you get why it has been a long delay. I have to admit, I had a little trouble trying to plan the scene between Lechat and Puss, but I think I did alright on that part.**

**Note for Sido: Hope I did okay on the scene between them. :/ Sorry if I didn't add a lot of Lechat's fighting aspects, as I was kinda in a rush to get this done. (You will see more chapters with her in them) I also wanted to point out, that this is not a prequel to your story, cause you know, they aren't siblings in my story. (For VERY obvious reasons you will see in this chapter) But I did stay true to her storyline you added for her. :) Hope you like it! **

**But a quick warning for readers: Suggestive adult themes, and a handful of romance this chapter. (But not Sexuel/Lemony) :P**

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It hadn't taken long for Puss to locate the warehouse that Lechat had been talking about, considering he had known about it sense he was a kitten. Apparently, a few decades ago, it had been used for storing food and rations, and sheltering citizens during the Great War against the French. Now, ever sense the war had ended, the warehouse had long been abandoned ever sense. And Puss knew that must have been why Lechat chose this for their, "meeting place."

The warehouse was just below him, as Puss crept alongside a building for a better view. To his surprise, it still seemed to stand as tall as it had before, though it had seemed to age and decay over the years. Puss' eyes scanned below for the doorway that he had seen before, but could not find it, even with his angle of the building he was seeing. But before he could continue any further, he had spotted another entry point on the side of the building. A small hole seemed to deepen on the side of the roof, right across from him, just small enough for a cat to squeeze through. He readied himself for a jump, before racing forward and leaping into the air, barley making the jump as he forced his claws to screech him to a stop.

After getting up from the ground, Puss found himself in the ceiling of the warehouse, once he noticed the wooden rails going in all directions from him. Taken a cautious peek below him, he could see all the untouched shipping crates and containers. Cobwebs and spider webs seemed to hang in the ugliest corners of the room, and even were littered around the shipping containers.

He padded carefully across one of the wooden rails, until he managed to leap onto one of the shipping crates below him, propelling a cloud of dust into the air. Coughing on the dust that had just engulfed him, Puss swatted the cloud out of his face so that way he could see. Now silently reminding himself why he was here, he starting to take his steps quietly, as he stealthy made his way down from the crate area. Even though it was very dark in the small warehouse, he could see very easily due to his natural night vision as a cat.

Up ahead, he could make out a small light up, just inside another hole in the wall. When he had almost reached the hole, he placed one hand on the gleaming handcuffs, before quietly tiptoeing through the small hole. He found that it was a torch that was making the light, along with a few lanterns next to a comfy looking, blanket layered mat. A few smaller, but open shipping crates lie against the wall next to the mat. And last but not least, a small, bronze case that contained a fiddle sat next to the mat, looking well preserved and in good shape. Overall, the room was fairly nice for being in an abandoned warehouse.

As Puss cautiously looked around for Lechat, a voice from behind startled him.

"You're not going to arrest me with those, are you?"

He leapt around in alarm, to find Lechat, staring right at him. Puss immediately realized that he was holding the handcuffs right in front of her gaze, as she approached him slowly.

"Eh- no," Puss quickly said with a nervous smile, as he tossed them onto the mat behind him.

Lechat quietly leaned against the wall beside him, lighting a torch next to them.

"I was starting to think that you weren't coming," she said silently, turning her gaze back to Puss.

That was when he noticed that she wasn't wearing her daggers, or dagger belt either, a surprising condition. He had expected her to still be cautious about his arrival, but she didn't seem to show any suspicion towards him. And he couldn't see any weapons in sight.

"I could arrest her right now if I wanted to….." Puss thought, thinking he could take advantage of her being unarmed.

But he quickly decided that he wouldn't. A woman like Lechat would probably have some hidden weapons somewhere that he couldn't currently see. Besides, trying to arrest her now would probably provoke her into action.

"So what happens now?" Puss asked, staring at her again.

As he did this, he could feel his intentions wanting to slip away from him.

"No! I can't let that happen!" Puss thought alarmingly. "That's exactly what Lechat wants me to do!"

But at the same time, he couldn't help wondering if she felt the same way about him. Maybe she WOULDN'T, double cross him after all? But the thought quickly slipped Puss mind, as he patiently waited for a reply. She was still a criminal, someone who Puss knew he had to put behind bars for her actions against Spain.

Lechat just simply shrugged, gazing into his eyes. "Whatever you want."

They both stared at each other, her seductive gaze seeming to lock with Puss'. A long silence past by, before one of them had reacted.

Suddenly, Puss tossed himself at Lechat, kissing her on the mouth passionately. Lechat didn't seem surprised at all, as she started kissing him as well. He pressed her against the wall, as they continued to kiss each other roughly. After a little bit of that, Puss guided them towards the mat, where they both feel on it, and started kissing once more. Lechat climbed on top of him, before burrowing her mouth in his. But as they did this, Puss eyed the handcuffs, just inches away from his paw. He stretched his paw out as far as he was able to without Lechat noticing, but wasn't able to reach them. Instead he had another idea.

Puss flipped around with Lechat, on top of her this time, making her gasp with surprise. As they continued to kiss and purr loudly, Puss made sure that Lechat was too occupied to notice what he was reaching for. He started to kiss her more deeply, pinning her against the bed to be sure that she stayed where she was. Purring loudly with pleasure, Lechat started to touch around his belt area, while Puss managed to slowly grab the edge of the handcuffs. His hand hesitated on grabbing them for a minute, but Puss grabbed a hold of the handcuffs. When Lechat was on the verge of making, "further moves," toward him, (You get what kind of moves. ;D) Puss slowly dragged his hand that held the cuffs toward Lechat.

That is, until he felt something sharp touch his stomach.

His hand stopped moving, at the same time they had stopped kissing, as he slowly looked down at his stomach area.

And sure enough, there was Lechat, holding a razor sharp dagger at his chest.

He slowly sat up from Lechat cautiously, slightly surprised that she had a weapon this whole time.

She sighed with disapproval, shaking her head. "I had thought that you would try to pull that naughty move on me."

"So you didn't trust me than I guess, eh?" Puss said, half disappointed for different reasons.

"No, it wasn't that," Lechat insisted simply.

"I knew that you liked me, but I just took…. Precautions, in case something like this happened. After all, a girl's got to be careful, you know how it is," she said with a grin.

With another sigh, she cocked her head to one side.

"It's a shame that we had to cut the romance short, we were just getting to the fun part…. Until you made that sly move on me."

Puss soon realized that he had forgotten his sword, as he attempted to clutch his sheathe.

"Well sorry to disappoint you, but I don't give that privilege to she cats unless I'm available. And right now, I'm not," he finished in a harsh tone of voice.

Lechat frowned at the statement thoughtfully, before a look of amusement appeared on her face.

"Oh really? Is that who taught you what you know now?" She retorted.

"Oh, you have no idea," Puss spat back.

Lechat studied him curiously again, before her expression changed.

"So what happens now?" Puss asked, remembering the last time he had said that to her.

Lechat scoffed, remembering the same thing.

"Very funny, Ginger. But I suppose that is the question yes? Well, I can't kill you, otherwise I'd be charged for murder eventually, so that seems to leave me with one option," Lechat stated, still keeping her dagger on Puss.

Puss slowly reached behind his back with one hand, starting to grab a flask holding some kind of ash. Puss didn't know what it would do, but he was looking for anything that would help to slow her down, so this was his only option.

"You know I can't let you do that, Senorita I can't let you leave without chains," Puss replied firmly, trying to buy him some time.

The white she cat laughed in disbelief.

"I'm sorry, but who do you think is the one armed here?" She pointed out, making a fake jab motion with her dagger.

She turned around slowly, as if thinking he couldn't do anything to defend himself. Puss soon realized that she was taking the fiddle from the case, and placed it carefully into her belt. When she hadn't turned around, Puss knew it was time to make his move. He moved around her cautiously, paw outstretched toward the golden cuffs on the mat. When his paws were within a few inches of the handcuffs, Lechat had just started to turn around. Puss knew he had no other choice.

He grabbed the cuffs from the bed, readying the flask to be thrown. But unfortunately for him, Lechat was anticipating this move. She immediately turned around a chucked a knife at the flask, making it explode in Puss' eyes, before starting for the door. When the ash had hit Puss' eyes, his vision started to blur, and his eyes had started to burn. As he struggled to get the ash out of his eye, he stumbled after Lechat to the best of his ability. Once his vision was cleared, he had caught sight of her, just exiting the warehouse. Puss grabbed a sword from the rack and another one of the ash flasks, before starting after her. He leaped from crate to storage crate until he had managed to reach the hole in the side of the roof. Climbing as fast as he could, he crawled out onto the rooftop, just in time to see Lechat sprinting for another building. Puss immediately began pursuit, running across the long building after her, leaping over obstacles in his way.

Within only a few minutes of the chase, Lechat had skidded to a stop at the very edge of the building, gazing over the edge. She could see no building to jump to next, no balcony to leap down to, and no places left to run. The only thing that she could see below her was a rushing stream, leading to the unknown.

Puss approached her cautiously from behind, his sword readied on her.

"You have no where left to run, Lechat! It's time to stop running, and face your fate," Puss insisted.

Growling with frustration, Lechat turned back around to face him.

"I am not going back to jail! I can't, and I won't!" she said firmly.

"Why?" Puss demanded, taking a step forward. "Why can't you go back to jail?" He asked more calmly.

He found himself starting to soften towards her, as if he understood her, even though he didn't.

Looking down at the ground in sadness, Lechat harshly said, "Why do you care? You wouldn't understand, and no one else does either!"

Puss took another step forward, making her fur bristle alarmingly.

"Try me," Puss insisted.

Lechat scoffed in reply, clutching her dagger. "Nice try, but I think I'll pass."

Puss clutched the flask of blinding ash behind his back.

"Lechat do not take out that dagger, please!" Puss warned.

Lechat started to take it out of the sheathe after he said this. But Puss was faster.

At the exact moment, he chucked the flask forward, barely dodging the airborne dagger. The flask hit Lechat right in the face, making her stagger backwards in pain, clutching her burned eyes. Right off the building.

"MRRRROW!" The panicked sound of Lechat's yowl was the only sound Puss heard, as he attempted to rush forward to her aid.

"Nooo! Lechat!" He yelled with panic, rushing to the edge of the building. He hadn't meant to kill her!

But lucky for him, Lechat's head soon appeared above the water of the river, choking on water and gasping for air.

"Help! I can't swim!" Lechat cried desperately, while being carried across by the rivers current.

Puss widened his eyes with surprise and alarm. He had expected a cat like her to know how to swim, yet out of the things she knows, she didn't know how to swim.

Puss found the quickest way possible off the building, before rushing towards the river. Right on the side that Lechat was being carried towards, guards were eating lunch on a nearby bridge.

"Oh no," Puss thought once he saw them.

They hadn't noticed Lechat yet, but once they did, Puss knew she would be in big trouble.

Sprinting ahead until he had managed to get ahead of Lechat, he leapt into the water, front legs first. The minute he had done this, Lechat had just gone under.

"NO! Lechat hold on!" Puss shouted.

After inhaling deeply, he submerged himself underwater. After a quick scan of the water, he had managed to locate Lechat, thanks to his ability to locate scents easily. Padding forward as quickly as he could, he managed to get Lechat onto his back, alive and well. He was relieved that she was awake, otherwise it would have been a lot harder to get her to shore. As soon as she was firmly attached to her back, he swam his way right back to the surface, Lechat and Puss both spitting out water and gasping for air.

After a brief swim, they had reached nearby shore, well away from the guards on the bridge, where Puss let Lechat rest on the ground.

She panted heavily with exhaustion, her white fur ungroomed, with water droplets dripping off of every strand of fur on her body. Overall, she wasn't as pretty as she had been when Puss had first met her.

Checking his belt, Puss had realized that he had lost his golden handcuffs.

But this time, he didn't feel discouraged for some reason.

Why? Puss didn't know the answer to that question.

* * *

After some time of recovering, Puss and Lechat were dried off….. at least enough. Now, Puss was getting to the point where he had to figure out what do with her, or at least, what HE, was going to do. But Puss felt that before he decided to make that decision, that he wanted some answers first. He knew that there must have been a reason behind Lechat's behavior back there, or rather, a reason for someone like her to be an outlaw.

Puss stood up from the ground and walked up to Lechat, who was still recovering from her unfortunate experience.

"I find it surprising that you don't know how to swim," Puss said with amusement.

Instead of glaring or scoffing in reply like he'd expected her to, she just smiled briefly at this.

"I was never one to like water," she admitted, "After all, a girl's got to have fears too right?" She joked.

Puss chuckled at this. "Don't we all?" He replied, sitting down beside her.

A silence seemed to drift between them, as they watched the river current rush by.

"You know, if you're going to arrest me, you may as well do it right now," Lechat insisted, breaking the silence between them.

Puss sighed flatly in response."I'm not going to arrest you Lechat."

"What?" Lechat sounded surprised. "Why?"

"I just don't see the point of it anymore," Puss started to explain, shaking his head silently. "I used to think that all outlaws were horrible, evil people when I was a kitten, but now that I am actually hunting them, I'm not so sure."

"By, "them," you mean me, correct?' Lechat asked, earning a nod from Puss.

"You are my first," he confirmed.

"Where are you getting at then?"she pressed.

"Lechat, why did you become an outlaw?" Puss finally caught to the chase.

Lechat sat up from the ground at the question, looking nervous. "Look, you are very sweet for rescuing me and all, but I can't-"

"Can't or won't?" Puss challenged.

Lechat opened her mouth to speak, but ended up letting out a reluctant sigh.

"Alright, you rescued me from drowning and didn't arrest me, so I suppose that counts for something. Fine then, I will give you the short version."

Puss gestured for her to continue. "Go on."

"I lost my kittens, so I became an outlaw looking for them," she explained bluntly.

"What? How did you end up becoming an outlaw?" Puss asked.

Lechat looked him back in the eye. "I stole," she simply said, now looking down at the ground shamefully. "I didn't care what it took, as long as I found my children. But to this day, I never did…."

"Besides, how else are you expected to survive when you have no parents?" Lechat added.

The whole sentence shocked Puss, as he widened his eyes with disbelief. "She's just like me…." Puss realized. "An orphan."

"You- you have no mother or father?" he asked.

Lechat nodded in reply sadly. "I got used to it after a while, considering I still had my sister. But, sometimes… it just hits you once in a while that you never knew who your actual parents were, you know?"

"I know exactly what that feels like," Puss said behind closed eyes, as a single tear fell from one of his eyes.

After another moment of silence, Lechat sat up from the ground, her sadness suddenly gone.

"Well, I'm sorry to cut this touching moment short, but I think I have to go," Lechat said, gesturing to the guards starting to pack up their lunch on the bridge.

Puss saw the guards as well. "Yes….. somehow I don't think they would appreciate seeing you with me," he said with a laugh. Lechat laughed at this too.

"Alright Ginger, I have to go now. But….." her snowy tail brushed by his cheek lightly, making Puss blush slightly. "If you ever need a hand with something, or need a friend to hang around, you know where to find me…." Lechat said, pulling Puss alarmingly close to her face.

She gave him a small kiss on the check, before separating from him. Puss fur stood up at this, partially alarmed.

"Oops, I almost forgot, you aren't available," Lechat joked with a laugh, before darting away.

Puss brushed off his fur, rubbing his cheek with one hand. He couldn't help smirking at this.

"She is one heck of a bad kitty," Puss couldn't help thinking.

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**Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Sorry for the delay, but you all get why. :)**

**Chapter 11 preview: After the following events, Puss reluctantly returns to his mentor, expecting a punishment from him for his, "failure." The lesson/punishment is not what Puss had expected. Meanwhile, Clovis works on a revenge plot against Puss... with the help of a mysterious ally.**

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	11. Choices

**Okay, I'm going to automatically assume that this is the part where you kill me because of not updating the story. So if you hadn't had the chance to read my authors note in August, let me explain: **

**So much crap has been going on it the past month. My dad recently passed away because of cancer, and I haven't been able to update this story for numerous other reasons. Internet problems included. **

**So sorry that I couldn't update! i really hope you guys can forgive me for this stupid mishap and month long delay. But I am now back, and ready to keep going.**

**And be sure to leave a review as always! ;D**

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Puss already knew what to expect when he arrived at the hideout empty handed. Well, technically speaking he knew that it was his fault that Lechat had walked free. But at the same time, he felt that there was no good reason to be arresting her. After all, she was doing it for someone that she loved, would he not do the same if it were his mother in trouble? No. However, he knew that he wouldn't win any argument with the guards with that kind of explanation. Especially Yuan.

As he continued down the stone bridge leading to the countryside of town, he wasn't surprised to see a few guards, wearing leather armor from head to toe, holding torches pass by. It was just like every evening, whenever it had had started to get dark outside.

As a kitten, he hadn't understood why these guards were so cautious at night, carrying their crossbows, swords, the works pretty much. As he grew up, he started to develop a better understanding of why. Even after the great war against the French, the queen of Spain, along with its many people, didn't trust France. Now with England, AND France at war with them, it did not cool anyone's nerves any better. After all, they have been at odds over many things, like Land, money, riches, things like that.

After he was not far from the town houses, the old, eroded hideout soon came into view, charming as ever. (Much to Puss' dismay)

With a sigh, he sarcastically said, "Good to be home."

For some reason, he felt that what he had said had been partially serious. After all, the walk had been incredibly boring, with no villain to arrest or bust. Not even a estupido robbery… Whatever the punishment he was going to be given, he couldn't care less. A visit to his girlfriend Cloud would take away any negative feelings he would have afterwords.

Stepping onto the porch, Puss made his way inside the house, his creaking footsteps starting to become muffled as he descended further into it.

Little did he know however, Clovis had been watching the whole time.

"I know Puss," he said with anger, his teeth clenched, "I know where you've been. Cloud will be mine. And this time, there is nothing you can do about it."

* * *

Leaping onto the destroyed staircase, Puss sidestepped wrecked boards, now making his way back to Yuan. The light emitting from the torches soon came into view, which Puss knew meant that he would have to face his mentor. Taking a reluctant step forward, the orange feline stepped through the broken wooden doorway. And sure enough, he could see Yuan right across from him. The old cat was next to the fireplace, humming the tune of a song as he softly brushed something in one of his paws. As Puss started to get closer, he soon realized that the item he held was a picture frame. Widening his eyes with curiosity, he took another step forward, only to cause the floor to let out a loud creak.

Yuan's ears immediately pricked with alarm at the sound of his presence, as he scrambled to hide the picture back in the open chest below him. "Puss!" From the sound of his voice, Puss could tell, judging from his surprised voice that he wasn't supposed to have seen him holding that.

Giving him a glare afterwards, he said, "Unless you want to lose your tail, don't EVER, sneak up on me like that again!"

Puss flinched at his tone of voice. "I apologize master, but-"

"You don't have to tell me, I already know that you didn't capture her," he said more calmly, looking down at the flames dancing in the pit.

His tone of voice surprised Puss, but he was still prepared for an outburst that could occur at any moment. Not that he would be surprised if he had, of course.

"You- You do?" He dared to ask.

"Si, I wasn't surprised really. Pupils commonly don't succeed in there first assignment, though I did expect more from you," Yuan added sternly.

Puss rolled his eyes. "And now here comes the part where I get punished, I presume?" he asked, as his tail brushed the ground from side to side patiently.

Yuan averted his eyes from the fire pit. "If that's what you want to call It."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Puss asked in confusion.

Yuan simply grabbed his sword cane from beside him and sat up from his throne. "Follow me if you would like to find out my apprentice."

Puss rolled his eyes at this. "I suppose I shouldn't ask where we are going then?"

At the question, Yuan gave him, "the look."

"I guess not," Puss muttered.

* * *

It hadn't taken much longer than a short walk through town for them to reach the main gates of San Ricardo, which stood as tall as two stacked houses. The fainted bronze rimming of it deflected the sun's rays off it, even though it technically wasn't bronze anymore, from it's age of decay. Clamoring caravans and citizens waited eagerly at the front gates for them to open. Typically, there were different daily times when the gates would open, though rarely, there were emergency gate closes/opens. (Like for the Commander of the guards arrival.)

This many citizens may have been through this gates at least a thousand times, and may have found it fairly normal, nothing new. But it was the opposite for Puss. He could feel his heart and breathing about ready to stop any minute from the excitement of waiting on the gate. For him, he had been waiting for the moment like this all his life, ever sense he were a kitten. The time when he would get to explore outside of his home time, the time when he would get to go on, REAL adventures.

And as he thought of these things, he even considered the possibility of starting a family, but the question remained: Who would he start one with? For the moment, Cloud seemed like the obvious answer, but first, Puss knew he would have to actually become her mate for that to happen. And even then, there were other things he had to think of…

His thoughts were immediately interrupted by the sound of the gate opening. The two guards on each side were pulling the levers with effort to open the gates wider, as they trudged there feet forward, their arms outstretched. The bronze gates groaned open, as a few people backed up to give it space. Yuan was already starting forward as soon as they had opened. "Well, what are you waiting for youngster? C'mon!" he urged Puss.

The caravans moved their traveling mules and camels along, while the crowd of people made their way through the gate. Another smaller group of people from outside collided with the others that were leaving, along with Puss and Yuan.

After managing to push there way through, Puss came face to face with a dirt road, stretching all the way down through flatlands of grass. A few vegetable farms were scattered outside of the wooden and stone walls, with huge corn fields alongside them. From where he was standing, he could see faint traces of sand on the horizon, where the land started to turn to desert from that point on. Mountains also marked the horizon, which were very faint. He remembered years back about what Cloud had mentioned about not seeing mountains before. Now he could tell her all about them when he came back.

Overall, the view of the landscape was breath taking. He had never seen how the land had looked before, though he could recall helping with one of the vegetable farms before when he was but a kitten. But today, he felt like that day had never happened before in his life.

Suddenly, Yuan hit Puss sharply in the side with his cane, making him flinch. "Come on Puss, we aren't going that far," Yuan told him firmly.

* * *

If this definition of, "Not going that far," was this, then Puss wanted to see what he thought far actually meant. It had taken them about an hour down the road before they actually stopped in the middle of it. He was surprised to find anything at that point at all. But sure enough, he found himself face to face with an old eroded, ruined, wooden structure, lying right on the side of the road. The windows looked like they had the glass torn right from there sockets, and what remained of the glass was but little sharp shards. The paint that used to be their on the wood looked like it had once been a light oak shade of brown, but was now peeled away. The doorway was just large enough for a human, but this time, the doorway had two double doors. From Puss' view, it looked like the building had used to be a bar of some kind.

"So why are we here again exactly?" Puss asked in confusion.

Yuan simply gave him that mysterious smile again and said, "You'll see."

But Puss had a feeling that that grin wasn't being directed at him, but at the look of this place. So it made Puss wonder, what was his mentor's reason for bringing him here? What kind of punishment did Yuan hope to give him, HERE?

As they approached the structure, Yuan sniffed in the air heavily, letting out a sigh of relief as he breathed out. "Good to be back."

"So he does know this place," Puss thought as they entered through a broken window.

The smell of sour milk and alcohol immediately filled his nostrils, which wasn't a very pleasing scent for Puss to take in. And he wasn't surprised about the scent when he saw just what was inside. Sand stuck to the walls and filled in a few broken windows inside, and it was even filling up a part of the bartender's stand. All around the room were scattered chairs and tables, some broken, and others were buried by sand. The Bar stand was completely deserted, with knocked over cups that smelled of milk, now filled with sand instead. Milk barrels that now smelled sour were mostly knocked over, but a few were still left standing. Yuan walked over to the bar stand casually, as if he were getting a drink at a cat cantina just like any other normal day.

And then, history basically unfolded.

"For years, I have hid in shadows like a rat," Yuan started viciously, flexing his claws along the wood of the counter. "This place, used to be a human's bar. Then, the Dragon clan managed to outsell them, and brought their business. It became a Cat Cantina soon after. It wasn't just any, Cat cantina you see. It was where we sold the strongest drinks, where the clan settled….. and the she-cats, oooo lah lah….." Yuan finished with a small laugh. His expression changed quickly afterwards, and Puss decided to stay quiet for his own good.

"But then the Snake Clan attacked, stole from this place, and made it their own base….. temporarily. Eventually, it became abandoned, where countless sand storms passed through it, eroding it, and changing the cantina for the worst," he finished.

"What does this have to do with a punishment, if you don't mind me asking?" Puss asked.

He couldn't help finding the story interesting, but at the same time, he wanted to know what this had to do with anything.

Yuan avoided eye contact with him, as he picked up a burnt ace card from what was once a card table. "You can play both sides of the card my apprentice, you just have to know how to play them both. Of course, everyone considered me a hero….. but there were times when I was not."

It took Puss a moment to understand what he was trying to say, but he was able to make sense out of the last part. "You- You're an outlaw?" He dared to ask nervously.

"Yes and no," Yuan partially admitted with a sly grin. "Let me ask you Puss, do you think that all outlaws are evil?" he asked, meeting his eyes again.

"That depends," Puss replied, trying to sound firm about his answer. "It's not always about their deeds, but their motives," he added defensively, remembering Lechat's motive.

Yuan chuckled and purred with amusement at this, before his expression went serious again. "During my stay in the shadows, I learned a few lessons, and I learned some of those lessons right in this Cantina. The biggest lesson: "You can't stay with one side forever." Yuan explained. "I thought I could stay a hero forever, and even took an oath to myself, that I would never do anything an outlaw would do. However, the oath was cut short."

"What did you do?" Puss replied curiously.

"I stole, disobeyed the guards, even vandalized when I felt like it was necessary."

"Why?" he demanded again.

"In time I will tell you that answer, but for now, you have not earned the answer," Yuan responded.

His eyes were hard for Puss to read, but he felt that maybe it was guilt in them? Sadness? No, it must be regret! Puss even considered that maybe it was all three. Of course with an old cat like Yuan, you never know.

The old master walked up to him casually and calmly. "That leads me to the next question….."

"Would you like to know how to play both sides?"

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**Hope you enjoyed! I will have the next chapter ready to go after I upload another for my Star wars story! ;D**

**Be sure to leave a review PLEASE!**

**Chapter 12: Puss' day with Cloud is ruined when Clovis attempts to reveal what he knows about Lechat, putting their relationship in jeperdy. Meanwhile, Puss makes a startling reply to Yuan's offer in the previous chapter.**


	12. Secrets

**Alright, hope you enjoy this chapter. I had a tough time coming up with the title for this chapter, but other than that their is nothing else worth mentioning. Again, I would like if readers would be mature about these chapters, especially this one that I am writing and I hope you have been. I think by now you all know that I don't write lemons, i only use suggestive themes, so when you are reading this chapter, don't take anything the wrong way.**

**Please be sure to share your thoughts and review!**

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Cloud settled herself comfortably in the grass. The tree that she had been sitting under, had supposed to have been the meeting place for she and Puss, but to her discouragement, her favorite ginger feline hadn't arrived yet. Puss usually wasn't this late, especially on a day that they were supposed to be spending together, so she couldn't help wondering what it was that was holding him up from coming to her? Even though the two felines had visited and met up together many times in the past years, this day wouldn't be like the other times. They now loved each other, and the two felines both knew it. "Maybe he's with that old cat again?" She thought discouragingly. If was as if he spent half of his day with that sword mentor of his, and the other half with her…

Suddenly, a familiar scent on the wind hit Cloud in the face, and she knew right away who it was. It only belonged to the one annoying furball himself.

Her fur immediately stood on end, as she turned around to find herself face to face with Clovis. Again.

"If you're looking for a mate, then you are looking at the wrong she cat," she hissed viciously.

Clovis just scoffed with amusement, his tail lowered casually as if Cloud were not acting hostile towards him. "How do you know if I am?" He taunted as her started to circle her seductively.

Cloud kept her eyes locked to him, and bared her fangs and hissed at him, clearly thinking that he would dare try to take her as a mate. He simply stopped in his tracks and let out a laugh at seeing her expression.

"Relax, I wouldn't take you as a mate unless you wanted to be mine," he assured her, still half grinning. "I actually came here to tell you something, something that I think you would find interesting about your- supposedly future mate." He hesitated on the last words, as if they were poison, but managed to keep his tone serious.

Cloud looked offended. Her eyes were narrowed accusingly and angrily at him and her fur was slightly lowered, but she still kept on guard, in case he tried to make any moves on her. "Why should I listen to anything you have to say about Puss?" She said firmly.

"You don't," Clovis stated calmly, as he started to casually walk around the tree, which slightly put Cloud's mind at ease. As long as the mate beggar stayed within 10 feet away from her, she had no problem with him.

"But I thought you should know where Puss has been yesterday….. and I found it very interesting that I found him that way, very shocking also I must say."

"Cut to it already," Cloud urged impatiently. She just knew that this would be another one of his stupid attempts to earn her favor. After all, what reason would he have not to? "Nothing you say will convince me to like you, ever."

"Even if I told you that I saw Puss with another cat?" Clovis countered.

At first, the words sounded nothing but lies. "He would never do that to me!" Cloud protested with a snarl. "I don't believe you. Why do you expect me to believe that anyway?"

Clovis continued his story, as if on que. "Well, for starters, I saw Puss with another she cat on a rooftop, the next minute, I see him enter an abandoned warehouse, not long after that she cat had. And I didn't see him come back out until about an hour later. I find that very odd and interesting that Puss would disappear into a warehouse like that with a she cat, when he supposedly loves you, don't you think?" Clovis finished.

At that exact moment, Cloud froze, almost as cold as ice. Was she really considering Clovis' story to be true? No she couldn't be! Puss would never! But what if it was true? She tried to weigh all of her answers, which led her to the one question: Would Puss in Boots really do that to her? Her final answer ended up being no.

"I don't believe you," she decided. "Puss' love for me is truly genuine, unlike yours, and the story you have just told is another one of your failed attempts at a lie! That's all you are, is a big, fat, LIE!" Cloud shouted.

Clovis smirked, this time, in disbelief almost. But he didn't look out of hope. "Suite yourself, and say no all you would like Cloud, but I know that in your mind, you know the answer to my claim," he said with a sly grin. This time, instead of sticking around as usual, he started to walk back down the hill towards town. "Buenos Tardes to you senorita!" He said with another laugh, as he bounded away from her.

After Clovis had left, Cloud continued waiting as if nothing had happened. But her mind thought otherwise. Even as she said no to his claim, she couldn't help weighing the possibilities. But in the end, she decided to forget about it. This was Puss and Cloud's first time, having an entire day- well, most of the day together, and she didn't want one of Clovis' pointless rants to spoil her mood.

* * *

Puss and Cloud leapt onto another Storage crate. Cloud had been trying to keep pace with him, but it was hard to with all the jumping.

"Come on, please tell me where we are going, Puss?" she begged, as they made another jump.

"It's just a few more crates over Cloud, have no fear," he insisted with a chuckle.

They had decided to switch their meeting place to one of the abandoned warehouses, and Puss had the perfect place that they could spend time together at. Of course, Cloud had wondered what could possibly be so amazing about a cobwebbed warehouse filled with rodents. But of course, Puss had picked up a few ideas from Raul back at the cantina…. Helpful ideas.

After jumping to nearly the top of the Warehouse, they landed gracefully inside a hole made in the wood of it. Inside was one of the roof's smaller circular windows, which gave them a clear view of the sky. There was also a pile of comfy looking moss on the wooden floor, which looked like it had been cleaned recently. Even with the sunlight coming in through the small window, Puss had lit a few small candles that looked like they had been created by hand near the entrance. The small area in the roof that they were in looked overall, surprisingly clean for the most part.

Cloud chuckled at the sight and brushed her muzzle against Puss'.

"Some Romeo you are turning out to be. How did you even manage to create this so fast?" She asked in amazement, as her blue eyes scanned over the small space again.

"It only took me a few hours last night," Puss said with a shrug. "I hope it isn't too small for your comfort," he added worryingly.

Cloud laughed and got up close to him again. "No, it's not. I actually think it's the perfect size, just for the two of us, she added as she gave him a kiss on the check.

Her white tail brushed over his face seductively again, and Puss couldn't help staring at her flank again, as she turned around to face the rest of the room. He liked the way she walked, so gracefully, even if she was still walking on all fours like a normal cat. Puss had managed to get used to two legs, because apparently, walking on four legs while wearing boots all day gave you sore ankles, so he had to learn to adapt.

"Well, what do you want to do?" Puss asked, as Cloud finished checking out the room.

She brought herself closer to him, now getting back on to two legs, so that way Cloud would be at his height.

"I don't know, what do you want to do?" She asked seductively, starting to kiss him on the lips again.

Cloud put her arms around his back, where they closed in on each other again, and where Puss started to kiss her with the same passion. She felt around his orange fur again, and Puss couldn't help doing the same to her, as they kissed. They started to make out even more intensely, but Puss didn't have any objections to it. The two felines did this for quite a while, until Puss' boot accidently got caught on the moss.

They both fell onto the mossy ground, where at once, Puss was thankful that it was soft. They both burst out laughing at their mishap, where they sat side by side quietly, and sighed with happiness. Puss and Cloud found themselves staring out the window beside them, and the horizon that lie beyond San Ricardo's walls.

For the few moments they had spent looking out the window, Cloud hadn't been thinking about the region like her lover had been. She couldn't seem to get Clovis' rant out of her head, and the more she thought about it, the more it seemed to bother her. Cloud had thought that the day she was spending with Puss would get the encounter out of her head, but all it seemed to do was strengthen the memory. "Maybe I should ask him about it?" She thought.

Cloud turned to her lover, concern filling her eyes. "Hey Puss….. can I- ask you something?"

Puss turned to Cloud and touched his lips to hers softly, puckering them outward against hers passionately, and she did the same thing in return.

"Of course, you can ask me anything. Are you alright. Mi amur? What did you want to ask me?" He asked quietly, smiling at her warmly.

After a brief moment of silence, Cloud change her answer at the last minute. "Nothing," she said with a smile. "I was just thinking about how much I love you."

Puss purred with affection as he kissed her again on the mouth. "I love you too Cloud, and I promise you that nothing will get in the way of me loving you," he told her.

Another moment of silence crossed over them, and this time, Puss had something to say. "Cloud?"

"Yes Puss?"

"Have you ever thought of- well, you know, starting a family?" he asked.

Cloud looked over in his direction at the sound of the question. "Maybe, have you?" she directed back at him.

"I've been considering it," Puss admitted. "But I don't know yet. Imelda may not have known much with us cats, but she always told me as I got older, "Puss, you'll know when you've found the right woman for you. You just have to keep looking."

Suddenly, Cloud rolled over next to Puss, nearly on top of him.

"Do you think I'm that cat?" she whispered, while starting into his green eyes.

Puss knew that he couldn't deny the answer to that question. Even when they hadn't been together, Puss felt that he had loved her more than he had loved anyone else in his life. Cloud had to be the one. Not just to be his lover….. but his mate.

"Always and forever," Puss replied warmly.

"In that case….. I do want a family," Cloud said, getting comfortable on Puss. "A family with you," she added.

"Are- are you saying that you want to be my mate?" Puss stammered.

He was interrupted, when Cloud started kissing him roughly on the mouth again, muffling his words. And sure enough, that's when he noticed something else, something he hadn't caught until now. Cloud was in heat. And he knew right away what her answer was at this point: Yes. She did want to be his mate.

And now he was about to become it, in just those few moments. But he didn't deny it.

* * *

**A few hours later….**

Puss woke up to find sunlight still streaming in through the window beside him, and Cloud asleep against him. She was curled in a white ball of fur, and her head was lowered, as she slept peacefully. He could feel the silent rise and fall of her breathing. The feeling had made him feel comforted and safe, as if he didn't have to fight anymore, or at least in his case, do any more work.

Of course, he wasn't just her lover anymore, he was her mate. Her loyal, hardworking, loving mate. And he was determined to show her that he was. The simple difference between a lover and a mate, was that a lover was someone that, well….. you loved and cared for. But mate was the second stage of love for cats, unlike humans. To become a cat's mate….. well, it's pretty obvious how, I don't think I need to go into detail. Most male cats that stray from place to place will take mates anonymously, even if they knew the she cat for no more than one day. But again, that was just natural for most cats, and Puss was determined to make their mateship last.

Even as he enjoyed these moments of being with Cloud, Puss knew that he had to get going soon, much to his dismay. Yuan had requested him later for training that they had to go through….. special training, later in the evening. He longed to stay with Cloud, especially now. They hadn't gotten the whole day together, but at least they had most of the time that they had needed.

Sense he wasn't wearing his boots, it was easy for Puss to get up on all fours. His boots were right across from him, unevenly next to the wooden whole in roof, along with his hat and belt. He snatched up his gear, and eventually finished putting his hat on. When he had reached the wooden hole, he looked back at Cloud with a longingness in his eyes, the same look that she had a decade ago when she had first meet Puss. He made his way back to his new mate and groomed Cloud affectionately on her head, before covering her with a blanket of soft moss. Puss leaned forward and gave her a kiss on the check.

"I will be back mi amur," He whispered into her ear, before disappearing from the building.

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**Hope you liked the chapter! Please share your thoughts and review!  
**

**Chapter 13: Yuan teaches Puss about the way of the villian, and the way of keeping his status as a hero in check at the same time. But while doing this, Puss keeps his relationship with Cloud a secret, fearing that Yuan will not be happy about it.**


	13. The Villan's Highway

**Good to get another chapter in today! Hope you all enjoy, and as always, (If you haven't already given up on the story. :/) Please be sure to share your thoughts and review! ;D**

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Puss scanned San Ricardo's horizon up ahead. Just above him the sun was just starting to set, and he knew that meant that the time to move was now. Yuan had requested his presence after the sun had set, right above the main bank, and he did not have any time to waste. And at that moment, he wasn't surprised to hear the Church bells start to ring. During certain times of the day, the Church bells rang, and each time the bell rang, the guard shifts changed, which was what Puss had been waiting for. "Wait for the Evening bell," Yuan had told him, "Then continue onward to the bank, where we shall start our quest."

No surprise, Puss felt very anxious about trying the side of an outlaw, but to his relief, Yuan had a way to make sure he stayed a hero as well. The reason he had decided to try it, was not because he enjoyed the idea, but because he just wanted to see it through the eyes of one, as if he were an outlaw. For Puss, he was also learning: How would you proceed, if you were a bank robber? For him, it would be like seeing through the eyes of one, even though he was technically about to act like one.

After examining the guards carefully, and making sure they started to change from the rooftops overlooking the bank, Puss made his first move. He ran across the rooftop on all fours and leaped onto another slanted one, right across from. He sunk his claws into the little holds inside the roof, and he was able to climb his way back onto the more flat part of it, where he continued his advance. After reaching a few other buildings, he soon caught sight of the bank, and he stepped onto two legs once again. Sure enough, Yuan was waiting for him on the roof overlooking the bank, right across from him. He caught Puss' eye a moment later, and his own eyes widened with satisfaction. "Ah, good, you're just in time," he stated as he rubbed his paws together. "I believe you know why we are standing at the top of a bank at this moment?" Yuan asked, giving the street below him a glance.

"Yes," Puss replied, also looking where his mentor was. It was clear that this was a robbery, not just some child's play thievery.

"How much are we looking to steal?" he asked Yuan.

His old master chuckled roughly at hearing him say that. "Muy bien, you already know what we are doing. But in order for me to answer that question, I want you to show me that you have the guts to steal first."

He pointed out a person in the distance, who had just stopped in the middle of the busy market district. "See that woman with the gleaming purse on that bridge there? The stupidest thing a human could do is leave jewels in plain sight of prying eyes, and that makes her an easy mark. Steal the precious jewels from her purse, but try to slip away undetected, and return to me," he told Puss. Yuan then stole a glance at the guards on the roof. "Unless of course, you want to go head to head with the sword, and lose your reputation that is," he added with a half amused smile. "Do you think you can do that?" He asked.

Puss scoffed arrogantly. "Piece of cake."

Yuan shrugged his shoulders. "By all means."

Puss stealthily made his way down to the street, and casually walked among the crowd of humans, as if he were just a normal street cat, on all four legs. He started to approach the bridge casually. The woman with the purse still hadn't noticed him, so he still continued towards her boldly. A guard was passing by the bridge, so Puss waited for him to move so that way he could proceed without getting caught. After he had passed by, Puss tried to judge briefly how he would manage to steal the purse. He couldn't just walk up and snatch the purse, and he couldn't steal it directly, or that would draw lots of attention immediately to him. But at the exact moment, luck hit the air for Puss. The woman had just put down her bag beside her, and that made it incredibly easy for Puss to snatch it from the ground. Puss however, had an easier way of getting away with theft, something that he had learned back when he was only a mere kitten. He fast walked by the purse, and brushed by it briefly, before walking away back toward Yuan's direction casually. When he had made it back to him, the old master couldn't see his catch.

"You didn't catch the gems," Yuan pointed out with a grin, thinking that he had something to lecture him on once again.

But Puss removed his hat at the last second, and inside, was the gleaming gems that he had managed to swipe. Yuan's eyes lit up with surprise and he laughed, giving him a pat on the back.

"Muy bein, muy bein indeed my young apprentice! I guess you have learned something after all," he said with another laugh.

Puss gave him a bow of satisfaction, triumph burning in his ears. "I didn't fall asleep during your entire lesson, mentor," Puss replied with a grin.

"We'll see about that when we go on to the next one," Yuan insisted, gesturing for Puss to join him at the edge of the building. They reached the edge, and the old master pointed towards San Riccardo's Treasury below them. "See that bank their?" He asked, and Puss nodded. "We are looking to get at least 2,000 coins out of there, and I want to see if you are cunning enough to figure out how to obtain the money without getting caught," he explained. "The guards will not change their shift to the bank for another twenty minutes, so that's how much time you will have to get it. Now tell me Puss in Boots, do you think you can do that for me?" He asked with another grin. And this time, he did get Puss.

2,000 was a lot, of gold coins, and if Yuan thought that it would be that easy smuggling it out of a bank undetected, then Yuan had another thing coming to him. But Puss wasn't going to show weakness. He'd find a way, one way or another.

"Yes," he told him firmly, trying to show determination in his eyes.

"Than please do so," Yuan said with a challenging grin.

And he made his way down to the bank, where he would pull off the grand heist of the century.

* * *

Clovis stealthily made his way down the street. Even though it may have been the evening at the time, it was still easy for him to get by, without being trampled by all of the humans in the morning.

His request couldn't wait, and he was sick and tired of waiting for a miracle to happen. 9 years ago, Puss was nothing but a stupid, dumb, homeless 12 year old cat who didn't know squat about Cloud. But taking her as mate? For Clovis, that was as far as the line went, and he'd had enough of this. Puss had ruined his life, and now he was about to make the stupid cat pay. Cloud may not have loved Clovis, but he knew that she would've eventually. Those dreams were now crushed, and now he would have to make Puss in Boots pay.

Clovis then reached the main gate across the stone bridge, which to his relief was still opened, just as planned. He padded outside, and made his way along the outside of the wall, passing by countless farmlands that were busy with the farmers that tended to them, and soon, a dark hill blocked their view. He made his way around the dark hill, until a sound behind Clovis made him stop dead in his tracks. His fur prickled with anticipation, and he knew what he'd find when he had turned back around.

"I didn't think you'd come…." Clovis stated, as he turned himself around.

In front of him stood a cloaked man. The man chewed a toothpick that was propped on his lower lip, and he had a scarcely visible beard. A flintlock glimmered off one side of his big brown belt, and so did a Spanish, jeweled Cutlass. Clovis could slightly see his quiver of arrows sticking out from his back, including the bow that he'd held in their last meeting. "You should know by now that I never miss a contract meeting," the mysterious man said with a rough cough. He kept his face concealed, looking into the darkness, but sat up a little straighter. "So tell me…. Why does a mere, petty house-cat, pay two _three thousand_, gold coins, for a mercenary like me to come waltzing in here to have a meeting here with you?" He asked in a deeper, clear tone.

Clovis felt himself become paralyzed at the coldness in the man's voice, and at the look at him. He averted his eyes nervously, before daring to meet the man's. "I want you to….. shall we say, fix a problem for me. I hear you are quite good at what you do, and I would like your help with this matter," Clovis insisted, in a firm voice.

He kept his tone straight. After all, despite being a simple domestic cat, he had to show this bounty hunter that he wasn't afraid of his own man for hire.

The hooded bounty hunter seemed quiet for a moment. "Hmm… And what exactly would you require of our services, for these, _generous, 3_,000 coins, hmm?" He asked suspiciously, admiring his Cutlass, which gleamed ever so beautifully off of its gemmed handle, despite the darkness that cowered over the two.

Clovis looked him dead in the eye and frowned with seriousness. "I want you, to deal with Puss in Boots," he told him darkly.

He'd expected the bounty hunter to shiver or something at the sound of his name, but all he did was simply nod, and Clovis continued his request, still not finished. "But I don't want him dead, not yet anyway. I just want you to teach him a lesson, and feel free to hurt him as much as you want, just don't kill him," Clovis added swiftly. Despite Clovis' hatred for Puss, killing was one of the last things he daren't do to satisfy or solve a problem, and he didn't plan on that any time soon.

The Bounty hunter nodded again, chuckling a little. "I like what I'm hearing so far, except for the fact that we don't get to kill anyone," he muttered the last bit under his breath, before going back to a normal tone. "Puss in Boots has been a problem lately for a few of my boys, and I wouldn't mind roughing him up a little, not to mention, I'd love to," he added with an evil grin.

"So you'll do it?" Clovis asked hastily.

"Yeah, I'll do it," the bounty hunter snorted, before spitting on the ground in front of him. A small figure suddenly moved beside the man, wielding two small daggers. "Won't we Alecondro?"

The small figure stepped into the light, two reveal a black tom with an eye patch on his left eye. The tom grunted heavily and nodded. "I'm always ready to take on another bounty," Alecondro confirmed, swinging his daggers in the air.

The bounty hunter man then gave Clovis one last serious look. "Alright then, are you sure that you want us to do this contract? I may be merciless, but I assure you, I am a mercenary of my word. Shall I- I mean, _us, _commence the contract?" He asked.

Clovis eyes stared off in the distance nervously. Could he really be feeling regret? After everything Puss did, was it still really worth doing this to him? Going this far, and for what?

After a minute, Clovis forced himself to snap out of it. _I'm doing this for Cloud, Puss does deserve this. _

He looked the Bounty Hunter directly in the eye once more, and gave him the answer that would set his future fate. "Yes."

* * *

**Oh boy, things sure are getting intense! :O Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please share your thoughts and review!**

**Chapter 14 Preview: Puss finishes his, "extra part," of his training, baffling his master as to how he managed to complete it, but nevertheless, he decides to resume his swordsman training with his master. But on the way back, he is attacked by an unknown opponent, where our orange feline, finds that someone is secretly plotting against him.**


	14. Unknown Threat

Yuan laughed with joy as he showered himself with coins for the hundredth time. "My apprentice! Y- you did it! I don't know how, but you did!" He exclaimed with another laugh. Puss also found himself laughing silently to himself, and smiled at seeing his mentor so happy. "It was a piece of cake, like I said," he insisted cunningly.

The old master hadn't thought he could, but Puss had managed to somehow retrieve the enormous amount of gold from the bank. And despite Yuan's arrogance into thinking he couldn't, the young, cunning ginger feline had done it. He had truly broken the bank, and surprisingly, Puss found himself proud of it.

Yuan sat up from the pile of coins and brushed the dust off of his cape. He gave him a pat on the back and grinned. "You are a true legend, I must say! No one would ever suspect the legendary Puss in Boots to have been the one to have stolen 2,000 gold coins from the Treasury of San Ricardo!" Yuan chuckled with another laugh. "Those guards are going to be sitting there all year, scratching their heads and trying to figure out in the decades to come, "who did it?" He laughed again, putting a paw on each of Puss' shoulders.

This time the old master halted his laughter and gave Puss a warming smile. "You have done it my apprentice; you've learned both sides of the card, and for that, I am truly proud." A moment of silence passed between them, and Yuan made his way to the chest that lie under his throne. He dragged it out from under the immense chair and opened the lid of it, and slightly pricked something small from the inside of it, before closing the lid on it. The old master sat up from the ground, using the throne to support him as he did this, and made his way to Puss, keeping the object he held out of sight. "Your hat please," he insisted with a wave of his paw.

Puss handed him it, and Yuan turned away from him. His eyes widened with surprise, and at that moment, he realized what it was that Yuan was doing to his hat. His mentor turned around, to reveal a clear, light blue feather, which was now attached to the top of his hat. Yuan handed him the hat and smiled again. "Take it my apprentice," he assured. "Take this hat, and wear it with pride, for you, have now achieved the rank of Swordsman." Puss' eyes lit up at this, and he reached out his paw to take his hat back. Even though it looked and smelt the same, the hat somehow felt different to Puss, as if it had gotten lighter. He felt along the smooth edges of the feather with one of his fingers, and dragged it lightly along until his finger rode off the back it, the smooth texture of the feather still remaining on the pad of his paw as if he were still holding in in his hand.

Puss then smiled and bowed with respect eagerly. "Thank you master," he replied with gratitude gleaming in his green eyes.

Yuan bowed back slightly. "Do not thank me, Puss in Boots, for you have high levels of excellence that you can achieve. After you have made it to the next rank, you will earn the red feather, which will get you the title of: Arch Swordsman. Then after that, you earn the green feather, then the orange, and last, but certainly not least….." Yuan pointed to the yellow feather on his hat. "The Master's feather." The words ran off his tongue, as if they were the most important things in the world that mattered at the moment. Puss blinked his eyes at the yellow feather, then back at his blue feather and smiled. _I'll make it to the Master rank one day. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but someday._ Puss knew that much at least.

After he had finished with the introductory rites of being a, as Yuan called it, a "true Swordsman," he finally let Puss loose. "Alright then my apprentice, I believe that's enough excitement for one day. Run along now, and enjoy the rest of your day," he insisted with a wave of his paw.

Puss bowed in respect once more, and ran ahead out the door behind him.

Puss made his way down the street, whistling a tone to himself, and enjoying the feel of the sun on his fur. He walked ahead down the street, his chin held high with pride, as he walked past the many villagers' paths boldly. The Captain passed by with a troop of his guards, and stopped by to greet Puss. His beard had grown grayer sense the last time he had seen him, but nevertheless, he looked energetic as ever. He lightened up and saluted Puss. "Greetings to you senor Puss in Boots!" The Captain said aloud. To Puss' surprise, even his soldiers gave him the same friendly and honorable greeting, and a few even bowed in respect to him, which looked pretty awkward because of the height difference.

Puss smiled and saluted back. "Buenos Tardes Comándate!" Puss greeted him back.

"I see you've become a swordsman sense then," the Captain noticed, gesturing to the feather on his hat. "Congratulations Senor Puss, and farewell to you as well!" The Captain then continued to march onward with his troop down the street.

Afterwards, Puss felt himself become more bolder with every step, as people that he passed by waved to him and greeted him respectfully, some bowing occasionally as he passed by.

"Buenos Tardes Señor Puss in Boots!" One would say.

"Coma Esta señor gato?" Another would rarely say.

"How do you do senor swordsman?" Some even said with a respectful bow.

These were only some of the greetings that Puss had received as he walked down that street, so boldly and proudly, with his sword, cape, and feathered hat at his side. His tail swished across the air behind him as he walked onward, his head held high with pride and his cat green eyes filled with determination. He stopped at the bottom of a staircase and looked down. Puss then leapt into the air, doing a triple flip before landing perfectly on his feet, catching his sword with one paw which had flown from his sheathe, and he replaced it as he continued his walk. A couple of gorgeous ladies on the side of the street giggled shyly and greeted Puss in unison together. "Hola Senor Puss in Boots!"

Puss twisted himself around in the wind, making his cape whirl around in the air, as he brought himself to a stop, with his feathered hat outstretched towards them, where he blew the group of ladies a seductive kiss. One of them fainted at the gesture, and the rest of the ladies started cheering at his reply. Puss then leapt his hat across the street, which showered hundreds of gold coins into the sky, where crowds of excited people struggled to catch the god-like gift from the air. "Bless you Puss in Boots!" One man shouted, followed by a few others.

And at the other end of the street, where it was much quieter, Puss caught his hat in one paw, where he replaced it once more onto his head and continued his walk. He sighed with relief and grinned with determination. At this point, he had no idea where exactly he was walking to. But he didn't care, because today, people knew who his was now, for real this time. He was now the hero of San Ricardo, and that was all that mattered to Puss now. _Because today, they know my name! I am PUSS, IN B-_

"Someone help, thief!" A scream of help from the other side of the Market District immediately interrupted Puss' thoughts and made him go on guard. His ears pricked in alarm, listening to where it had come from, before he started down the street as fast as he could. He ran across the stone bridge and past the General Store, running up the hillside that leads up to the west side of town. When he had reached the top, he found most of that part deserted, until he caught sight of a lone figure in the distance. Puss ran ahead on all fours until he reached the person, who cried out for help again. The minute he had reached the man, he sat up on two legs again. "Where is he?!" Puss demanded. The man huffed and pointed up ahead at an alley, where Puss just barely caught a glimpse of a black tom cat disappear into it. "There! Right there!" The desperate man shouted. Puss gave a nod and started after the thief. He turned into the alley and began pursuit of the black cat. "Stop right there gato!" Puss ordered loudly. But of course, the thief continued running. The black tom then made an unexpected turn into another dark alley that ran alongside the back of the abandoned Blacksmith's shop. "I said stop!" Puss ordered again. The black cat made another twist in the alley, then another where it soon led deeper into a small, square like stone patio. And as Puss made another turn, he found that he'd finally cornered the thief, right where he wanted him. "You have nowhere to run you estúpido fool! Give back what you have stolen, and just maybe I will let you go unharmed!" Puss demanded, as he unsheathed his sword from his sheathe.

The black top simply turned his held to him, which revealed an eye patch on his left eye, and scoffed. He smirked and shook his head, and despite the circumstances, Puss then knew something wasn't right. The directions that he had lead him were too obvious. A real criminal wouldn't have done something so stupid like this, they would have taken more attempts to get away then this. Puss saw many escape points around him still, but the thief didn't try to use any of them. These pointers could only mean one thing…..

"You really fell for that, Puss in Boots? Ha! You're a lot stupider then I thought gato! Because you just fell right into my trap!" There we go, that was it.

Before Puss could react, the alarming sound of a bang sounded behind him, and at once Puss turned around, to himself face to face with an enormous human male. A cloak covered most of his body, and he had an eye patch on the eye opposite of the cat's patch. In one of his hands, the man clutched a jeweled Cutlass, which shined brightly on the handle. A Flintlock hung of one side of his belt, and so did a bronze Blunderbuss, along with a bow and an arrow quiver attached to his back. From the looks of his kind, Puss would say bounty hunter, definitely. The man grinned, and Puss could see his two front gold teeth gleaming in his smile, which gave him an all the more ugly look. "So you're the legendary Puss in Boots," the bounty hunter said with a sigh, "I have to say, even though you've caused trouble for my boys in the past year or two, I'd say you look pretty easy to take on," he remarked, with another challenging grin. "Too bad I can't kill you though," he added.

Puss readied his sword. "Are you prepared to prove that theory Senor?" he challenged back, looking right up at his opponent directly in the eye.

His opponent threw back his head and let out a laugh. "As a matter of fact I am gato," he confirmed firmly.

At that exact second, the black tom lunged at him from behind with twin daggers, which Puss anticipated, dodging the blow and kicking him in the chest, making the tom stagger backwards with a pained yowl. The bounty hunter man grunted and charged at him, his sword arm held low, but on guard. Puss clashed and deflected his simply attacks to the side and leapt onto a nearby burnt out furnace to dodge another straight across slash, which harmlessly made a streak mark across the opening of it. Puss stroke his sword outward without much difficulty and clashed it against his opponents blade, where the tip of Puss' sword nearly touched the man's nose. The bounty hunter then clashed his sword hand out of the way and flipped into the air, swinging his sword around furiously like a fan toward Puss' direction, who leapt out of way just in time to dodge another hasty sword strike. At the exact moment he had gained distance, the black tom that Puss had encountered before tackled him to the ground, but Puss bit him on the wrist that held the dagger, making the tom yelp with pain, and that gave Puss enough time to knock him off. The tom sat up from the ground and rubbed his paw, growling with anger as he took his weapons from the ground.

"Forget taking him alive!" he hissed under his breath, before joining the fray again.

He extended his daggers to nearly sword length, and clashing multiple times with Puss, spinning around and landing heavy blows on his opponent's sword. The bounty hunter helped his partner push their opponent to the edge of the stone patio, but Puss continued to fight valiantly. He dodged a slice from the human's Cutlass, which cut straight through a support holding the building up, then he slide under the human's legs, where his sword came in contact with the black tom's daggers. Puss flung himself upwards with all of his might, causing the tom to be pushed all the way against the furnace, where Puss forced one of his daggers out of one of his paws, sending it flying into the building. Puss in Boots then leapt to the side, just as the human bounty hunter shot an arrow into the furnace, which nearly hit the black tom's head, making him gulp and let out a meow of nervousness. The human growled with frustration and took two more arrows out from his quiver, and ran at Puss with all three arrows and the bow loaded. The bounty hunter leapt into the air as high as he could, and spun around in mid-air, shooting off all three arrows at Puss at once. Puss nervously moved backwards and braced himself for the multi shot. He knocked the first arrows to the side with ease, but the third one managed to take his sword right out of his hand, and pinned him against the fence behind him. The bounty hunter then lowered his bow and grinned with satisfaction at seeing his trapped opponent. He let his partner free from the furnace, where they both made their way to Puss. The bounty hunter stopped at the pinned Puss in Boots and rose his sword above his head for the final strike, grinning evilly again. Puss flinched, not wanting to watch for what would happen next. But at the exact second, something knocked his sword out of the bounty hunters grasp, and a moment later, when he turned his puzzled look to see who had done it, blinding ash hit him in the face, making him cry out in pain and clutch his face. Puss saw a white figure leap into the air a moment later, and a well-placed double shot from a bow pinned the black tom back against the furnace again. The white figure then hit the Human in the back of the head, knocking him against his pinned partner. Puss was shocked at the scene. The White figure, was none other than Lechat. She knelt down beside him and leaned closer to him.

"Need a hand their ginger?" she offered with an amused look on her face.

Puss was afraid that'd she'd kiss him again like she'd done last time, but all she did was simply get his hands out of the sword handle. She then flipped it around the right way and handed Puss back the sword, the handle part pointed in his direction.

It wasn't that Puss didn't like Lechat, but he just didn't like her in that way. He had to admit, she did have "the effect" on him, but he already had someone that he loved, let along, a mate.

Lechat put her bow back into the strap that went across her back, and put her daggers back, before offering Puss a hand. Puss gladly accepted it and smiled lightly with gratitude. "Thanks for the hand snowy," he smirked.

"Don't mention it handsome," she replied, clear flattery in her voice.

Puss turned his head. "Who were those guys-?"

He stopped in mid-sentence once he noticed that they had escaped.

"Darn it! Those diablo's got away!" Puss growled with anger.

Lechat meet his eyes. "Have no fear my friend, they will be back. And if they don't come back, then take it as a good sign. Those mercenaries don't take not completing their contract smoothly, and they will be back again," she insisted. "I should know, I am a mercenary after all," she pointed out, letting her tail brush against his cheek again, which Puss narrowly avoided.

"Does that mean that someone wants me dead?" Puss asked, his eyes widened in bewilderment.

"Maybe so, you never know in San Ricardo," Lechat replied with a shrug, as the she made her way to the exit of the alley.

"Lechat?"

Her white ears pricked, and she turned her head back in his direction. "Yes ginger?"

"Is that a French accent I hear?" He asked curiously.

Lechat blushed and nodded. "Just because France is at war with Spain, does not mean we cannot make friends in the opposite country, no?" she pointed out. The white she cat then blew Puss a kiss, before she disappeared from sight.

After she had left, it left Puss to wonder about those bounty hunters. He knew very well who that mercenary man was, as he had fought him in the past year or two, but the question remained: Who hired them? More importantly, who would want Puss in Boots dead?

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please be sure to share your thoughts and review!  
**

**Chapter preview: A few years have passed by now, and Puss has started a new life with Cloud, but of course, without Master Yuan knowing. But when he is given an assignment by his mentor, it goes horribly wrong... resujlting in one of the last things Puss in Boots wants to happen.**


	15. The Assingment

**Three years later…..**

The sun stretched over San Ricardo like a single, bright orange beacon in the sky. But the citizens knew that it wouldn't stay that way forever, for winter was just arriving. The cold was an unforgiving, dangerous, and relentless foe that that the citizens and guards had to face every day that it snowed. And though the summers there were red hot, the winters were also equally extreme, if not more than a usual winter. The outside of San Ricardo's orphanage was now bare, with not a child in sight. Of course, it was because of the cold weather, and the children were not allowed outside sense then. The caretakers, including Puss' foster mother Imelda had been doing their best to rid the few children of their fevers, with little success, but otherwise, they had been doing fine on getting through the beginning of this harsh winter. The town streets didn't have as many people roaming them as they usually did in the wee hours of the morning, except a stray Morning Guard or citizen, wearing long, clothed robes in attempt to stay warm. The majority of the population was indoors overall, even the farmers who had been struggling to get to their portion of this fall's crops, which had mostly died off by now. Food was becoming harder and harder to come by, but the population had managed to get through…. just barely.

Through the past few years, many things had happened, despite the unforgiving weather. Cloud had given birth to Puss' two kittens, just two years into the three that had passed. Cloud's human owners had gladly adopted the kittens, at least partially, so they were in good hands for the winter. Puss was overjoyed to find out about the kittens, and two had found parenthood to be a pleasant and wild adventure. Ever sense she'd given birth to his children, Puss had poured his heart and soul into keeping them safe and finding food for them, no matter the cost. No one, not even Imelda, and especially not Yuan, knew of Puss' newborns, for he wanted them to be kept secret. Imelda had known about their relationship however, and was overjoyed as well that Puss had found someone that he truly loved. During this happy moments however, came the one struggle that Puss had faced during he and Cloud's relationship: Yuan. The stubborn old cat had clearly stated from the beginning, for no clear logical reason, that Cloud would interfere and prevent Puss from completing his swordsman training, and that he wouldn't train him if he had a relationship with anyone at all. This had made it difficult for Puss to come up with excuses for days that he had to miss, or training days that he had been late for, but he had managed to somehow cover his tracks at every turn, and still be with his love.

As for the mercenaries that attacked Puss in Boots… they were never to be seen, or heard from again, for the most unknown of all reasons. And during those three years, no one knew what exactly Clovis had been up to during those times, nor Humpty, who drew further away from Puss over the few years. He did not understand why Humpty did this, but nevertheless, Puss continued to enjoy his blessed life.

In the three years, Puss had also managed to make it to the orange feather, bringing him one step closer to earning the one rank that he had so desired and worked his sweat and blood into getting for those three long years: The Master's feather. Everything this year he had been working on had been to get this one particular feather, and he hadn't given up yet. Every criminal that Yuan had wanted him to arrest, Puss had done it. Every quest that Yuan had given him, finished in the blink of an eye. And every scheme that they had pulled together, done, finished, just like that!

Everything overall seemed to have been a blessing to Puss in those three, long year. The now 25 year old ginger cat was luckier than ever, and he was proud of it. Now here he was, just about to receive the quest that would fulfill one of his grand achievements yet, the one quest that would engrave his name into the Legends of Spain, and put fear into the eyes of all criminals who dared to face him! At this point, Puss found himself wondering, "How could anything possibly go wrong?"

Or so the ginger feline thought…..

* * *

"How are they mi amur?" Puss asked with a purr, as he leaned in closer to his two, beautiful newborns, which mellowed and meowed as they rolled around clumsily in the soft sheet of the basket that held them.

Cloud nuzzled him lightly and gave Puss a small kiss on the mouth. "They are fine Puss, you worry too much," she told him with a small chuckle. "Your daughters are healthy and beautiful, just as they were when I had them two years ago."

"Just like you, senorita," Puss reminded her with another seductive purr, and returned the kiss.  
Cloud smiled and shuffled to the side. "Alright you flirting tom you," she said with laugh, "you don't want to miss your big day today."

"Puss grinned and let out a fake scoff of discouragement. "You are getting rid of me already?" he asked, pretending to look offended.

Cloud laughed again and leaned closer to him, giving him another kiss. "Yes, I am, because that's the kind of mate I am," she said sarcastically, as a smile slowly appeared on her face.

Puss smirked and returned the kiss. "I love you my sweet Cloud," he said warmly and affectionately, before nuzzling his kittens in the basket with the same words.

"And I love you, Puss in Boots," she replied in the same tone, then grinned again. "Now get out of here!" she said with a playful laugh.

"Okay, okay, I'm going!" Puss said, as he turned to walk away. He gave her one last glance and grinned, just in time to see Cloud blow him a kiss. "I'll come see you later after you are done."

Puss pretended to catch it with his paw, just as he exited the doorway. "And I will see you there, my sweet," he replied. He pretended to plant the kiss he'd caught on his heart, smiling lightly at the thought of it, and continued out the doorway.

* * *

Puss made his way down the dark staircase, that lead to Yuan's hideout. He didn't need the torch this time, sense his cat night vision was starting to fully develop now, and he could see where we was going without tripping over his tail in the dark every three seconds. He reached the wooden doorway and pushed the dragon hilt on his sword into the lock in the door. As he stepped back, it opened by itself a moment later, and Puss walked through it, replacing the door behind him. He made his way down the small, stone staircase again, until he reached the main dome room. The fainted red flags of the Dragon Clan still hung on the walls of the wrecked room, just as well as they had hung eight years ago. Puss leaped onto the wrecked staircase in front of him, landing at the foot of Yuan's quarters. He then walked into the main room, and there was Yuan, waiting at his throne patiently. The old cat sat up from his chair and gave Puss a nod of acknowledgement. "Ah, good to see you here again, you are just in time my apprentice," he said with a small smile.

Puss bowed respectfully and stood once more. "So, what is this next assignment that I shall complete mentor?" He asked curiously, trying not to let his excitement show in his voice.

Puss knew that he had to keep his tone serious, for this was a serious matter. He needed to show his mentor that he was a mature, adult cat, not an energetic foolish one like he'd been in the past. That had also been something Puss had been trying his best to learn in those three years.

Yuan stood tall and used his sword cane to support him, as he walked over to the ginger tom. From what Puss could see, the old master was clearly growing old with every passing day, and his fur was not even looking like it's normal blackish color anymore. His voice grew more frail, though it never lost its seriousness, but it still faltered one in a while.

"You have worked hard for these past years, and now I think you are ready for this one quest. It may seem fairly simply, but do not be fooled. It will show me that you are ready for the path that lies ahead of you, and for the world that you may travel one day, that I have already traveled myself," Yuan explained, pausing for a breath briefly. "This particular quest will not take place in a mere town, that is minutes from San Ricardo, nor will it take place in San Ricardo itself. You are going to a place that only the most richest can afford to go to, a place that any citizen would dream of going to. You my apprentice, are going to Madrid," he finished with a grin.

Puss green, jeweled eyes grew wide with surprise at the sound of the city. He couldn't hide his excitement anymore. "Y- you mean it? _The _city of Madrid? Where the Queen of Spain herself lives?" He asked swiftly.

Master Yuan's eyes started to form a glare, where Puss then realized that his excitement had gotten out of control and gave Yuan a straight face again. "So…. What is this quest that I must do, that is at the Capital itself?" he asked with a nervous, reassuring grin.

Yuan looked at him in the eyes again, where the master's blue eyes rested on Puss' green ones. "I have just recently heard news, that Queen Isabella is delivering a speech in Madrid to the citizens of Spain, out in public," he started, before taking another needed breath. "However, because France and England are not at the best of terms with Spain, they are concerned that an assassin could kill the Queen. If the Queen dies, then Spain will be plunged into chaos, which is something that we cannot have happen," he explained.

"And how does this concern me exactly, master?" Puss asked casually.

Yuan let out a series of rough coughs and sat back down in his throne, steadying himself with his cane. He sat there for a few moments, before he could respond clearly. "The Commander of Madrid's defenses wants mercenaries, and as many as he can get. He is willing to pay for their services, and you Puss, you will be one of them," he explained.

At this point, Puss was simply baffled. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Becoming a part of the Queen of Spain's Royal Guard? That would be a true honor for Puss in Boots, one that could surely not be turned down now! But at the same time, the ginger feline wondered what this had to do with earning his Yellow feather, and how he would get to the Palace in Madrid itself. It was the most heavily guarded spot on the map of Spain, and absolutely, _no one, _was allowed on the property. Then there was the issue of getting to Madrid, which was halfway across the map of Spain! On horseback he could travel, sure, but for a week straight? No thank you, not for Puss in Boots!

But of course, Yuan already thought way ahead on that one. "The only jest to it, is on just how to get there," the old master insisted, "Madrid isn't cheap to get in you know. I want to see if you can find a way there, complete that job in Madrid, and return to me with a bag of gold in your paws," he told Puss flat out. The old master then leaned closer to Puss, so close that Puss could smell his fishy breath. "Do this, my young, polite apprentice, and you shall earn, the Master's Feather," he whispered with a mystical smile. "Return to me when you have found the money for transportation, and I will see you off."

Puss once again gave another bow of respect. "Yes Master," he said simply, before running back out the door behind him.

He knew the exact way to get the money he was looking for. And he knew just the she-cat that could help him with that.

Puss stealthily snuck his way to the edge of the warehouse that he knew he'd find Lechat at. It was her little hiding spot that she'd used in the past, so he knew he'd find the French she-cat there for sure. She would know how to gain him access to Madrid, as much as he hated to admit it, and Puss didn't want to risk stealing the money to get him there. So that left the White Spirit as his last option.

The ginger feline leapt into the gap the side of the roof and hoped inside the dirty warehouse. The storage crates that he passed by were still littered with cobwebs and garbage and usual, and there wasn't much light, except from where Lechat's fainted hideout was at. He walked over to the hole in the wall casually, making sure that he didn't startle her if she was in there at all. Puss tiptoed lightly to the entrance to it and took a peek inside. Sure enough, there was Lechat, sharpening one of her daggers with a small whet stone, and singing a French song. Puss tapped the side of the wall lightly with his sword handle, making her gasp with surprise and look up, to find him standing at the doorway to her hideout. Her expression changed back to normal when she realized that it was him, and her white fur lowered back to normal.

"Oh, it's you. Have you come here to kiss me again so that way you can arrest me, or have you come for something else instead?" She asked, amusement glittering in her blue eyes.

Puss rolled his eyes with sarcasm. "Very funny Lechat, don't you wish. But yeah, I do need a little help with something," he insisted finally.

Lechat set down her daggers and assured for him to come over to her. Puss hesitantly walked over to Lechat and sat down on the blanketed mat next to her.

"So, what did you need ginger?" She asked in a serious tone, or at least, what sounded like a serious tone to Puss.

With Lechat talking to him, Puss could never really tell anymore. He knew very well that even though they have a, "friendship alliance," that Lechat still wanted something more from Puss, to be more than friends. But so far, she seemed to have somewhat of an understanding of where Puss wanted to stay at, and that put his mind at ease.

"I need a way into Madrid, can you help me?" He asked. Lechat meet his gaze. "Madrid?" Puss nodded.

"Sure, I can help get you into their, no problem for me," she simply replied.

Puss seemed surprised. "What? That's it? No price, no nothing?" He asked with a surprised look in his eyes.

"No, I don't want anything in return," she stated, "besides, we are working together aren't we?"

The ginger feline gave a slight nod and looked over at the fiddle case in the corner. "When will I be able to get the money?"

Lechat scooted a few inches closer to Puss, without him knowing. "Check back in an hour at the hourly coach, I'll bribe him the money for Madrid and make sure that he knows to expect you," she replied calmly. Puss looked back to her and nodded again. "Thank you," he said with a smile of gratitude, "are you sure there is nothing that you want in return for the money?" he asked, starting to sit up.

But before he could, Puss felt something tug on his right wrist, forcing him back onto the mat beside her. "Actually, there is one thing that I want from you," Lechat insisted, as she brought herself closer to him. Puss then realized with alarm, that she'd handcuffed his paw against the bedside!

"Lechat, what are you-"

Puss was cut off as she pushed herself closer to him, and kissed him. Right there, full on the mouth, cutting him clean off.

In a situation like this, you'd think that the average cat in Puss' situation would get angry and try to escape. But for one, he couldn't reach his sword, and even if he was able to, he couldn't kill her. And another, Lechat practically had Puss pinned to the mat! Not only that, but hitting a girl? Uh, unfortunately, that was not something Puss did. So all Puss could do at this point, was sit there and let her mouth sink against his, his eyes widened with shock and surprise.

After a moment of feeling her kiss him, Puss did something that he would probably regret for the rest of his life.

He relaxed, and returned the kiss. After all, how else would he be able to escape Lechat? Puss had landed himself right where Lehchat wanted him, just because he'd been stupid enough to think that she'd forgotten about liking him, but no.

Puss felt his lips push against her warm, white mouth, and she puckered hers against his. After a minute of that, Lechat finally released him and grinned. Still clutching him, she leaned forward and whispered something into his ear. "Now we're even." She then released his hand from the cuff, and Puss was finally free.

But something alarming, or rather, someone at the doorway, caught Puss' and Lechat's attention. It was the one person that Puss had hoped would never catch him like this, the one person that made his blood turn icy cold at seeing him like this.

At the doorway, her mouth wide open with shock and fury, was Cloud.

And Puss knew at that moment, she had seen every second of what had happened in those few minutes.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed! Please share your thoughts and review!**

**Chapter 16 preview: Puss is forced to deal with one of the hardest outcomes he could ever imagine in his life. Yuan finds out about Puss' relationship, and Puss confronts him about his views. **


	16. Tradegy

**Hope you like the chapter! But just a reminder, in case anyone who hasn't read this in a while is wondering, I already posted chapter 15 before, so if you haven't read it, make sure that you have, as I do realize some people expect me to only post one chapter at a time. (Sometimes I post two at a time.) Anyway, enough of that, please be sure to share your thoughts and review! ;D**

* * *

Cloud stared at Puss with shock and disbelief, her eyes full of horror at the sight ahead of her.

Puss immediately tried to defuse the situation. "Cloud I- it's not what you think!" He insisted alarmingly.

Cloud shook her head in protest, her eyes starting to twitch. She stared at Puss, then Lechat, then right back at Puss.

"Puss how could you?" She whispered in disbelief.

She then remembered Clovis' words from three years ago, about this warehouse, about Puss being with another cat. And oh yes, it seems he was more than right about that one.

Cloud then curled her lower lip into a snarl and growled at him in anger. "Clovis was right, you- you- you are with her!"

Lechat let out a scoff of disbelief and looked at Cloud, backing away from Puss slowly. "What?" She asked in confusion, "Me and Puss? Please, I already have someone, you are making a big mistake-"

"Don't try and defend him!" Cloud snapped at her viciously, tears of hurt and sadness starting to form in her eyes. Turning to Puss, she added, "I already know he doesn't care about me."

Cloud then turned around and darted away from them both in anger, not being able to let them see her this way.

Puss turned his head to Lechat's direction, and his fur bristled with anger as he growled at her. He expected her to look happy about what had just taken place, but instead, there was regret and guilt in her eyes. She attempted to step forward to comfort him. "Puss I- I didn't mean for that to happen, I'm so sorry, I didn't know-"

"I don't care!" Puss shouted in anger, as he darted after Cloud. She had slowed her pace to a fast walk, so it was easy for him to catch up to her.

"Cloud please, let me explain!" He insisted, fear gripping him tightly.

Cloud's fur was still bristling with anger and hurt, but she forced herself to turn around to face him, tears still in her eyes.

"I don't need an explanation Puss," she said firmly, "I just want to know the truth, where have you really been for those times that you said you were going to train with Yuan?" Cloud growled. When Puss had opened his mouth to speak, she continued to talk. "I bet you were with her during those times!" She shouted in hurt, "Because you never really loved me did you? And you want to know why I searched this place first when I couldn't find you? Because this was where we had our first real day together!"

"Cloud I- I would never! I love you, always and forever! She is just a friend!" Puss insisted swiftly, and he could feel himself starting to break down inside. "What you saw back there was a forced kiss! I didn't ask for that, and I was even trying to escape!" He explained as fast as he could. "Please Cloud, don't leave me, you have to understand!"

"Oh I do," she insisted with another vicious snarl, "And I know for a fact that you liked it, I saw your face when that cat kissed you! You didn't struggle, you liked it!" She shouted again, starting to cry.

Puss saw her legs go limp and she fell to the ground briefly. At this point, Puss was speechless. All he did was try to blink away the tears that were struggling to build up in his green eyes, as he stared down at her in disbelief. He then tried to move forward towards her. "Cloud, I love you only!" The ginger feline tried to kiss her on the mouth, but Cloud hissed in disgust and darted to the side away from him. "Get away from me!" she growled.

After another moment of struggling, Puss felt something sharp slice across his face, and a single drop of blood hit the ground in front of him. He immediately withdrew from her and felt his face in shock. That's when he realized, Cloud had her claws unsheathed. Even Cloud looked stunned at what she had done, and she looked at his face in horror, before her expression changed back to hurt. "Don't visit me again, don't touch my kittens, we're done forever, Puss in Boots!" She said between sobs, before darting away from him.

This time, he didn't try to follow her. Puss shoulders sagged and his tail lowered to the ground in sadness. His eyes started to water, but he held the tears back, where as he lifted his head again, rage filled his eyes instead. He turned around and let out an angered yowl, and scratched the side of a storage crate as hard as he could with his claws, sending sparks from the metal rimming along them. Puss looked down at his claws, to find a one of them starting to bleed instantly, because of the intensity and force he'd put into the blow. He didn't feel it though, and he was too angry and upset to care. Everything was supposed to have been going perfect this year, picture perfect for San Ricardo's hero. But of course, Puss had to go to Lechat, of all people for help, when of course Cloud would go looking for him in that exact place! And now, Puss was paying the price for his actions. Cloud didn't love him anymore, and it was all of his fault. Every bit of it. He had relaxed when Lechat had kissed him, he had entered that warehouse, and worst of all, as much as Puss didn't want to admit it, he did like the kiss. But the fact that she'd listened to CLOIVS, of all people? That made Puss even angrier at Cloud for believing that she would dare believe that estúpido buffoon, over her own mate! And just how did he manage to see what happened with Lechat, or how did he find out about it? _Maybe I'm not meant to be with Cloud? _One side of Puss said that, but he didn't want to dare consider that possibility. But now, spite what had just happened, he found himself drawing closer and closer to that dark conclusion. At this point, there was no way that he could be with Cloud again, and Puss knew it.

He didn't know how long he stood in that same spot, before he forced himself to move again. His claw still dripped blood as he walked, but once again, he ignored the cold, stinging feel of the wound. Cloud wasn't what he cared about anymore, he just wanted to get out of San Ricardo at this point, and maybe deal with that quest. Away from Cloud, away from this place more importantly. He just wanted time to himself.

* * *

It took Puss a little longer than usual to make it back to Yuan's hideout, but he didn't notice. Again, too much depression, too much anger, he just found himself not even caring what he was doing anymore. Puss walked into the doorway to Yuan's room. Everything looked normal, except one thing was missing from the room itself: Yuan. Puss walked deeper into the room, near the firepit that was still going, and around it to his master's throne. "I see you are back already…."

Puss turned around, immediately recognizing the voice right away, Yuan. He had his arms crossed, and for some odd reason, he didn't look happy. But surprisingly, Puss felt he already knew why. It seemed all too much of a coincidence that they would arrive back at the same time, and that led to one theory that Puss had, he'd been followed by his Master.

"Care to enlighten me on where you've been for the past hour to get that transportation?" Yuan asked firmly.

Puss looked down at the ground in silence for one second, before he raised his head again and meet his master's gaze. "I think you already know the answer to that, old man," he replied quietly, still not breaking his gaze.

Yuan stood frozen a moment, before his gaze grew furious. "I told you not to be around her!" He growled with anger.

Puss just stood there in the same spot as before and didn't flinch. He'd had enough of being afraid of him, and he didn't care that Yuan knew now. But now, now it was his Master's turn to answer some questions.

"Why do you care if I am?" Puss asked calmly.

Yuan looked at him, as if offended that he wasn't being afraid or seemingly not taking the conversation seriously. "You know why! I stated that from day one, and yet you-"

"I what?" Puss challenged, started to feel his voice rise. "Why do you care so much that I don't be around Cloud? Huh? In fact, what happened in the past that pushed you to make that ridiculous rule?!" He shouted.

Yuan opened his mouth, but seemed at a loss for words for once. He then limply lowered his head and stared at the ground.

Puss took another step forward and scoffed in disbelief. "So what was it old man? Was it that you were too stupid and stubborn or because of your orphaned daughter?"

At that, Yuan widened his eyes with anger and lunged at Puss, yowling with rage and overpowering him, pushing him against the wall. "Don't you dare, mention her that way again! She has nothing to do with this!" Yuan growled, "and you, my apprentice, have crossed the line with this conversation-"

Before his master could continue any further, Puss bit down on his paw and slashed his arm with his claws with fury. His master withdrew and yowled with pain and surprise, struggling to defend himself, but failed, as Puss tackled him to the ground and tossed him into the wall. The young, swift ginger cat sat up from the ground and readied his sword on his own master, who lie defenseless on the ground. Yuan simply stared at Puss with shock and disbelief, who panted with anger, and stared down at his master, with the same look in his eyes.

It took Puss a moment to realize just what he'd done, and how far he had just went. He'd never done something so dangerous and so heartless out of anger in his life. But Puss couldn't take it back anymore, after what he had just done at that moment.

Puss put away his sword and knelt down beside him, anger still burning in his eyes, and whispered into his ear, "I'm going to Madrid, I'm going to complete that quest, but let me make myself clear to you, you stupid old gato: I'm not doing this for you. And I don't know what happened to your daughter, or why you did what you did, but you better rethink that good while I'm gone." Puss spat viciously.

After that scenario, did the only sensible thing he could think of at a time like this, and stormed out of the room, leaving his stunned master, leaning against the wall.

After he heard the old wooden door slam shut, Yuan sat up against the wall, still watching the door as if Puss were still there. He then brought his head down in his paws, as a faint tear of regret fell from one of his eyes, as he glanced over at the painting of the black and white she cat hanging on the wall. "I'm sorry my daughter," he whispered to himself, his voice going horse. He then turned to the doorway, and added, "And I am sorry, Puss in Boots."

* * *

"Next passenger please!" The sound of the driver's voice made Puss get up from his sitting place. He took a few steps forward towards the coach, but a faintly heard presence behind him interrupted his advance. "Wait, Puss, hold on!" It was not Cloud that spoke to him, as Puss had hoped, but Lechat. He turned back around and glared at her, but not with the same amount of anger as before.

"What do you want?" He asked impatiently.

Lechat looked at him innocently and took a few cautious steps forward, daring to meet his gaze. "I- I thought you might have needed this on the trip," she stammered nervously, reaching behind her to grab something bright and gleaming. It was none other than the Royal, England Handcuffs, the ones that Puss had lost back at their original meeting a few years back.

"Found these back at my place, and thought maybe I should give these back," she said quietly.

Puss looked at the cuffs in surprise, and then looked back at Lechat with less anger, but with just enough to show her that he still was. Puss stretched his paw outward and grabbed ahold of the cuffs hesitantly, as if they were poisoned, or something else was wrong with them. But Puss said nothing and took them from her, only giving her a small nod of gratitude.

"The money is all paid for the coach to take you to Madrid, and from there, all you need to work on is getting to the Palace District," she explained silently. Puss nodded again, partially ignoring her as he stepped into the back seat of the coach.

"But Puss, wait! Just one more thing!" Lechat insisted, putting a paw on his shoulder. Puss reluctantly glanced back to her one last time.

"I know it doesn't mean much to you at this point, but I'm sorry about what happened, I- I'm sorry about what I did, I just-" Lechat broke off in her sentence, now speechless on what to say next.

Puss ignored her and climbed into the coach behind the driver.

"Okay gato, are we going now? I'm getting mighty impatient right now!" The driver complained.

Puss nodded. "Go ahead."

Lechat looked down at the ground shamefully, then back at Puss, right as he had looked at her one last time. With one lash of his whip, the driver moved the horses forward, propelling the carriage along with it. Lechat watched him ride off into the distance, as the carriage moved down a dirt road. The road that would soon lead the legendary Puss in Boots to the magical land known, as Madrid.

* * *

**Oh man... I have to admit, I'm actually a little depressed at re-reading my own chapter. (XD psych nah!) But it still sad... anyway, I do understand most of you know by now that this is somewhat of a fast paced story, considering the timeline goes by fast, but I wanted to try to cover ALL of Puss' past as best as I could, which is why I kinda skipped over a few things that I summarized in start of chapter 15. BUT, and this is a big but, the story is still another 5 of 6 chapters away from over. XD So enjoy it while it lasts.**

**Chapter 17 preview: Puss journeys into Madrid, while he struggles to reflect on what had just happened in the past few days with Cloud and Yuan.**


	17. Madrid

Everything made sense now. But at the same time, Puss wondered, _did, _everything make sense? He had wondered this throughout the trip to Madrid, and he still did now.

So many things had happened in just those few weeks ago. The only difference is that those things, were not good. Puss knew very well what he had done, and what he had caused, but he also knew that he couldn't take them back. Cloud was a lost cause now, and there was nothing Puss could do to fix that. Everything he'd worked up with her, their kittens, even their mateship was gone, just like that. He'd been foolish to even think that they'd last five years, let alone three in this case, in a relationship. But Puss couldn't get her off his mind, even when he tried to push the image of the white, fluffy beauty that he had once called his love, and soul mate.

_Soul Mate. _Puss thought about the word with a laugh. _As if that were even possible! _

When he'd thought it over again, Puss realized that it wasn't just Cloud, but Clovis. The name made Puss growl with anger and frustration, and made his blood boil in rage, just thinking about it. He still didn't understand just how Clovis had _anything _to do with the situation with Cloud at all. The words that Cloud repeated still rang clear in Puss' head like the morning bells of San Ricardo: _Clovis was right, you're with her! _So just how did Clovis find out about Lechat? He couldn't have seen him with her, could he? But Puss considered that possibility. It seemed like a pretty logical reason for how he could have known, but was it correct?

Despite whether it was right or not, Puss didn't care, or at least, didn't want to.

But it wasn't just Cloud that Puss had been thinking of for those few weeks. His Sword Mentor was another story.

Puss still didn't fully understand what had happened between the two last time, but he did know one thing for sure: He'd crossed the line with him. The orange feline had been so stressed and angered about what had happened with Cloud, that he'd literally taken out his anger on Yuan himself, and it wasn't until he was too late, that Puss had realized it. But at the same time however, he was still angry at his master, and knew that he had good reason to be. There were things that Puss still struggled to understand about his irrational master, and about why he didn't want him with Cloud. What he knew of his master's past just didn't add up, nor did the part about his daughter. It was always that particular subject that Yuan had been sensitive about, and that made Puss wonder once more about why.

Despite his questions, his master still seemed to deny answering them over the past few years, and that gave Puss all the more reasons to stay angry, along with the exception that Yuan didn't want him with Cloud, which fueled his anger even further than before. Why did he seem so determined that they not stay together? That was the part Puss didn't understand, and the part that he would probably never get another chance to know about in his life. At this point, there was no way Puss could take back what he'd done, and he realized that from the moment he drew his weapon on his mentor.

But despite what had happened, Puss was still going to do that quest, whether it earned him the feather or not. After all, it was his number one reason that allowed him to leave San Ricardo, so that way he could spend a little time away to think.

One thing was for certain that Puss knew out of this whole thought process: He didn't belong with Cloud. He belonged with another, but the question still remained, "who?"

* * *

The gates of Madrid slowly came into view, as the Coach turned over a grassy hill. The rapid slash of a whip from the driver's gloved hand sent the horses clomping faster down the dirt road, kicking up the brownish sediment as they made their way towards their destination.

Ahead of Puss, was an enormous stone wall, which stretched hundreds of feet to the sides, far down the green plains and over the hills. Two massive guard towers, which were created with what looked to be a mixture of stone and iron, towered over the wall and the immense bronze gates below. Unlike San Ricardo, villagers did not have farms along the green plains outside of the walls.

The only thing that did stand out, were the hundreds of town people along the dirt road, which gradually changed to stone as it became closer to the gates, waited outside to get into Madrid. But not just people. Caravans, mules, horses, even cats and mercenaries waited to get inside, not to mention a few oddities too, including caged animals. The coach's driver slowed the horses to a steady gallop/walk as they started to approach the noisy crowd, and people moved to the side slightly to give it enough room to fit and to get by.

That was where Puss saw the guards that manned the towers. There were two soldiers in full suits of iron bulky armor, who were armed with Crossbows and Pikes, in each tower. Not leather or pieced together iron like the guards in San Ricardo had worn, but _pure iron. _It took real money if you really wanted to get iron, and it took even more money to get every guard in the whole city to have iron equipped, let alone, iron weapons too. There was not an inch on the guard that wasn't iron, even their helmets, which covered every inch of their face. A line of heavily armed guards stood on each side of the gate, their pikes, swords, and axes readied for trouble, and some even walked along the road as if they were a simple civilian. But they had them lowered this time, and some even had their weapons sheathed, simply gesturing for some civilians to come through, one group at a time. Others were pushed away or ordered off, mostly peasants, beggars, drunks, or people that probably couldn't afford the toll to get into Madrid.

A moment passed before Puss' Coach had almost reached the gate. But something up front seemed to hold them up, or rather, someone. Puss could hear a conversation forming between a well-dressed man and one of the guards of Madrid's gates. The man that spoke to the guard also happened to have guards of his own, who looked about a foot taller and stronger than the guards at the gate.

"I demand an audience with the Queen at once!" The well-dressed man snapped. "Lord Farquaad will not stand for her decision to-!"

"Well Queen Isabella doesn't have time for Farquaad's warmongering foolish matters!" The guard interrupted firmly and seriously. "And we certainly don't have time for one of _his, _supporters! Now leave at once, before I have to call the Commander down here again!"

The Well Dressed man scoffed in disbelief and his eyebrows formed a frown of discouragement. "Why, you- how dare you defy Lord Farquaad! If you must know, my lord will not leave your kingdom be without a proper answer to his alliance proposition! We are at war, same as you if you haven't happened to kindly take notice of, and Lord Farquaad will not leave without your Queen accepting his proposal, therefore I demand-"

"THAT'S ENOUGH, Senator!" The guard shouted in annoyance, giving him a little shove, making the Senator's guards become agitated at the threatening gesture. "Don't make me repeat myself again. The Queen. Does not. Care! Farquaad's foolish matters in Far, Far, Away are his own, and we do not have time for his dumbfounded requests, or for a disgusting individual like you to be showing up at the Capital's gates every hour of the day! Now you go back to Far, Far, Away, and tell Farquaad to shove that proposal right back down his short limbed corpse! We want no business with the likes of you, and neither does any region of Spain!"

The Senator's jaw dropped open in pure shock at what had just come out the guard's mouth. He closed it a second later and huffed and puffed in disbelief, before sticking his fat nose in the air.

"Fine! I will go!" He said aloud, starting to turn back around. "But let it be known that Farquaad will hear about this rude interpretation and absolutely unnecessary insult! And of your Queen's response as well, don't think I won't add anything about that too!" He threatened angrily, before storming off with his guards down the stone road, his fat, ugly nose in the air again.

The Guard sighed with relief and took another step closer to the road. "And don't you come back if you know what's good for you!" He shouted boldly, before returning back to his spot. "Stupid political, idiotas…" he muttered under his breath, before he waved us through. "You may enter!" He shouted, clearly having already received the payment from the driver of the Coach.

The coach driver stole a glance back at Puss. "Alright gato! This is where you get off!" He announced.

Puss grasped his hat and replaced it back onto his head, and nodded with gratitude to the driver, before leaping off of edge of the carriage. "Gracious Senor Coachman!"

The Coach nodded back and dipped his black top hat to the ginger feline in acknowledgement. "De nada, and a Buenos Tardes to you senor Puss in Boots!" And with one whip of his carriage and a shout, the Coachman started down the stone road down from the gates.

Then, with a firm grasp of his sword handle, Puss in Boots continued through the open bronze gates, ready for whatever came next.

But of course, nothing could have prepared him for what would lie inside the legendary City of Gold. (Another title/name for Madrid.)

If the outside of the gates was amazing, then Puss didn't know a term that would further extend the meaning of the word.

Inside, it was just as the citizens in San Ricardo had described it, minus the raining gold.

Many buildings arose from all around Puss, crafted from stone and wood alike. Most of them even included chimneys, which were very expensive at the time to buy, because they had just recently become invented. The doorways were all lit with torches, and so were the different shops around. But shops weren't the only places available to trade at. As Puss crossed the small stone bridge in front of him- which lead over a river by the way, he noticed a variety of small trading posts that sold all sorts of crafts and merchandise, spread all around the market district, and all around him. The amount of items that they sold truly amazed Puss, and so did the amount of craftsmanship that had been put into the materials. At one trading post stood a traveling Blacksmith, another had a traveling cook, or another one would sell odds and ends. Some rare barterers would even offer all three kinds of items!

Despite all the different shops and wonders that the city seemed to contain, there were _still, _countless other ways for the villagers to trade, unlike in San Ricardo.

The villagers that passed by Puss all wore such rich, clean, silky like clothing….. it was almost impossible for him to believe that most people living here could afford those kinds of expenses, yet still have room for more things to by! Again, this was all too unfamiliar to Puss.

Not one inch of the road was dirt, with the exception of the outline of the houses. Instead stone lie in the roads, where there would have been plain dirt instead, back in San Ricardo.

But above all of the amazing things that Puss had been seeing, one particular building caught his interest. Above the rest of the city, far down town, rose a large, circular dome, looked to have been created from pure silver. It shined like a large beacon from the sun's rays, but Puss could see it just enough to tell what the building was.

It was the Royal Palace of Madrid. The Palace, where the Queen of Spain lived, ate, and slept every day. And it was indeed, the place where the hero Puss in Boots, was going to make his mark at.

* * *

"My lady, it seems as if Farquaad has sent another one of his- ignorant messengers, to rile us up about that proposal again," the guard informed.

"Really?" A woman's voice asked in curiosity. "Hmmm… well I am not surprised. However, Farquaad will not be receiving the outcome he wishes, and the sooner he realizes this, the better off he will be in the future ages to come," she insisted softly, he voice calm and sweet, but firm at the same time.

The guard bowed. "But of course my lady, I agree, but shall I do anything to fix the matter in the future?" He offered politely. "To prevent it from happening again of course," he assured her swiftly.

The woman smiled gently and nodded. "That is generous of you to offer Eamon. But I think we will be fine, as long as we continue to keep Farquaad's men off Madrid's property," the woman insisted.

"As you wish my lady," the guard said with a respectful bow of his head.

"Now, is there anything else that you would like to-"

"My lady, my lady!" A man suddenly shouted, as he ran down the red carpet leading to the two.

The woman turned her attention to the man. "What is it senor messenger?" she asked in a serious tone of voice.

"We have a visitor who has arrived to see you! He claims that he has come on important business, and that he will only discuss it face to face with you himself!" the messenger said at the rate of lightning, panting for breath by the time he was done talking.

A golden she cat, beside the woman's throne sat up at the sound of the word "visitor" and looked towards the doorway in wonder.

"Stay Princess!" The woman ordered the cat calmly, before glancing towards the doorway.

She frowned thoughtfully, clearly wondrous about this suspicious visitor as well. Could he be just another one of Farquaad's supporters that had somehow managed to bypass security?

"Bring him in!" She said aloud, looking towards the doorway as well. Her royal guard readied themselves at attention on each side of her, but stood staring straight ahead towards the man opposite of themselves.

A moment later, the surprised royal guard, the golden cat, and the Queen found themselves staring at their visitor.

The visitor, was none other than the legendary ginger cat, Puss in Boots.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed this chapter! And if you are wondering, yes, Farquaad was the main antagonist from the first movie of Shrek. (The short guy with the red clothing. XD) I don't know how i remember that from that long ago, but I do.**

**Chapter 18 preview: Puss receives details on the Guard mission from the Queen of Spain, at the palace of Madrid.**


	18. Royalty, Love, and Reflection

The Queen's gaze meet the young, handsome, ginger cat that approached her. The only rather odd thing that she found about this cat, was that he wore a hat, a cap, a sword, and a pair of shiny, black boots…..

And much to her surprise, Puss in boots knelt down in respect, as soon as he reached within five feet of her throne- only because of the royal guard that blocked his path of course. "It is an honor, my Queen."

There was solemn promise in the gato's voice, along with firmness- a firmness that the Queen recognized as seriousness. She couldn't help forcing herself to hide a smile of flatter, as she watched him do this.

"Thank you dear gato, but that is not necessary, I assure you," she said with a small blush. Puss stood once more. "Now, would you like to tell me what a gato swordsman such as yourself is doing at my Palace?" She asked, her eyebrows raised in interest.

The golden she cat that had been watching the scene, arose from her Queen's side, and watched the handsome stranger with curiousness in her gaze. Puss barely acknowledged her presence, though he was aware of her sweat smelling scent- which smelled as though she'd been cleaned very recently.

"Pardon me, my queen, I did not mean to disrupt you in any way," Puss apologized respectfully, "but I have come on account of your bodyguard requests," Puss explained respectfully.

Queen Isabella nodded again, her expression still full of thought and wonder about the feline. "So you say….." she restated, scanning the small sword sheathed at his side. "You have arrived to become one, haven't you?" the Queen asked, as if already knowing the answer.

Puss nodded again. "You are correct as always, your highness."

The Queen gazed down at her royal guard, then back at the ginger feline that still stood in front of her. She frowned a moment, then stood up from her decorated, leather chair, repositioning her large dress so that way it did not block her path. The Queen started her small descent down the small, bronze steps leading up to her throne, stopping behind her royal guards. "Calm yourselves men, he is safe!" she ordered them.

The steel covered guards all complied right away with her orders and lowered their weapons, before moving back to their positions calmly.

The Queen smiled sweetly. "Thank you." Then she turned back to Puss, and waved her hand towards herself. "Now, shall we take a walk?" she offered.

* * *

Flowers. They blossomed along every inch of the green plains, and around the path that Puss and the Queen walked along. Sunlight brightly flourished the beautiful scenery around them, and the ginger feline's fur.

"So… what brought you here to seek such a dangerous task?" The Queen asked him, "I wouldn't have taken you as the kind of creature that would wish to be a bodyguard."

"Well, you are the supreme, and gorgeous leader of Spain, are you not?" Puss pointed out, his charming tone of voice washing over her like a shower of rain.

The Queen smiled lightly at this, still continuing to keep pace with Puss.

"If that is how you wish to see me as, then yes," she replied quietly.

Puss frowned thoughtfully and glanced up at the Queen. "What do you see yourself as, your highness?" he asked respectfully.

The Queen stopped momentarily, and so did Puss. She gazed down at the flower bed below her, and watched as a small honey bee landed on a red rose, to gather nectar.

"Many people have failed to understand, just who a leader of a nation really is," she explained. "Many people in England see their King or Queen as someone who should be considered above all else, and should have all the power and wealth to themselves. In France, they think the same. Is it any different in Spain? No. I see myself not as someone who should be above everyone- including the poor, but as someone who only wishes the best for her people. I want everyone to be equal, not below one another. I don't want war, I do not want poverty for my nation, and I certainly do not desire to watch my people starve with no clothing, food or shelter. But when England and France threaten my people, and try to claim land that Spain owns? That, is when I see war a necessity, and being a firm leader a necessity as well. But I will never say that I am above another, for we are all our holy father's children, and we are all blessed with the life we have now. What do I, Queen Isabella the first of Spain, consider myself? I consider myself the same as any other citizen of Spain. The only difference, is that I am a citizen, that has stood up to help protect our nation. Because that is what I see as important, not power, not wealth, but my people."

Puss listened in amazement, as he watched the small bee finish collecting nectar, and buzz away into the air. She was very unique person- Puss realized, in her own special way. Not just as an individual, but as a Queen. She didn't value power, wealth, or any of the above that other Royal leaders favored, and she didn't even correct you if you didn't call her by the proper terms, (Like, "your highness.") like the caravans told him when he was a kitten. She saw herself just as equal as anyone else in the entire country.

"That…. that is quite a view you have, mi lady," Puss remarked, as they started to walk once more.

"Si, I have received that same response from everyone I have met so far," the Queen admitted.

They walked in silence once more, across the flowery path, until they approached a curve in the stone pathway. There, the conversation picked up again.

"So…. What is your actual reason for deciding to take this job?" The Queen asked him.

Puss tensely thought about how to explain, before giving a direct answer. "It's to earn something I've wanted to earn for quite a while," he said bluntly.

The Queen nodded in acknowledgement, gazing down at the feather on his hat. "Is it the next rank of that?"

The question surprised Puss a little. He readjusted his hat. "Yes. How did you know?" He asked back.

The well dressed woman chuckled, and meet his gaze briefly. "You would be quite a taken back to hear just how much you can learn, living in a city like Madrid," she told him simply.

"Well, a beautiful senorita such as yourself, I wouldn't be shocked to hear that you would know so much," Puss insisted.

Again, just the same chuckle from her again. No corrections or sharp rebukes about, "how dare you defy my royalnes!," and so on and so forth. Just a pure friendly gesture, that meant absolutely no harm. She truly was a one of a kind queen.

"Flattering, but respectful, I like it," she replied in amusement.

They continued the walk back, until they reached the Palace again. The back of the palace shined like a brilliant light in the sky at night, and so did the marble statue of the Queen.

"You know, you seem like a very respectful and charming young gato. I admire that about you, Puss in Boots," she complimented.

Puss didn't bow this time, but simply smiled lightly. "Thank you." he replied.

"Prior to that, I do believe we could use your help in the, "bodyguarding matter," but I am afraid that it is not entirely my choice to make. Therefore, I must ask that you await the decision on whether or not to choose you. You may wait in one of my Royal Guest suites, and stay overnight if you would like- under the condition that you allow supervision of the entrance of your room. Only so that you stay safe of course," the Queen assured him.

"Who's choice is it, mi lady?" Puss asked, feeling a little bewildered.

"Why, Commander Price of course. You know who he is, don't you Puss?"

Puss' ears pricked at the sound of his name, and his eyes widened briefly.

Commander Price. Or better known as the Commander of the Guard. He'd been the man who'd had the guts and the nerve- a decade ago, to walk into Puss' town of San Ricardo, and boldly tell him that he wasn't any hero, and didn't deserve to be. So did Puss know who he was? Oh yes, he knew very well who the insulting and arrogant fool was. Just not in the kindhearted way the Queen probably did.

"Yes," Puss simply replied, letting his expression rest normally again, "may I proceed to my quarters mi lady?" He asked almost directly afterwards, wanting to get the thought off of his head.

"Of course, whenever you feel it is necessary for you to do so. Just head straight down through my throne room, down the royal hall, take a right, and one of my personal guard should direct you from there," she explained.

"Thank you," Puss responded with a bow. "I hope all goes bein for the remainder of your day mi lady."

The Queen bowed back this time. "And for your day as well, senor Puss in Boots."

* * *

Puss walked his way back in through the back of the Palace, into the beautiful Palace which the Queen lived in. He walked through the bronze hallways of wonder, until he reached the throne room. Guards opened the doors for him, as he continued through the center of the room. Puss gazed around a moment, trying to figure out where to go next, until he spotted another golden hallway, straight across from him, which he took to be the Royal Hallway. As he continued into it, the guards closed the doors behind him. An odd silence met this time, and the ginger feline took his first step into the area.

"You are new here."

A sudden voice made Puss stop in his tracks, and his fur bristled in alarm. He looked up from where the voice had come from, to find a golden she cat, patiently sitting on the edge of a decorated railing.

She looked stunningly familiar to Puss, and even seemed to mirror him. Her fur looked identical to the hallways and walls themselves, making her look all the more attractive to Puss. The she cat also had a pair of green eyes, just like his own.

"And who might you be?" Puss asked politely.

She cocked her head at him in curiosity. "Como te llamas Princess," (My name is Princess) she told him in a Spanish rich voice. "Et uy?" (And you?) The words rolled off her tongue ever so delicately and perfectly. Every syllable sounded so perfect, so beautifully and gracefully. Puss admired it all. Or was it admiration that he felt?

"Senor Puss in Boots, mucho gusto, (Nice to meet you)" he replied respectfully.

"It's a little hard to hear you from all the way up here. Mind coming up here so I can hear you better?" Princess offered.

Puss complied and leaped to the top with ease, landing next to the golden she cat.

"So, where have you come from?" She asked sweetly.

"San Ricardo," Puss replied simply.

He could already feel himself slowly getting attracted to this gorgeous cat. Maybe it was time for him to fine someone else that he loved. Starting with her...

_This should be interesting, _Puss thought to himself, as his mind scanned through the list of "charming" options of what to say next.

"So….. what is a beautiful senorita such as yourself doing here in the Palace of Madrid?" Puss asked seductively, letting his expression relax.

That was one of his ways of working his magic on the females that he learned. Now, it was time to put it to the test.

To his satisfaction, the she cat cracked a small smile of flatter. "I actually happen to live here, if you didn't know."

_Darn it. _Puss facepalmed himself in his head. _Stupid question. _But he kept his expression straight, still not discouraged yet.

"Must be quite a life, living here in such a golden place such as this," he remarked.

Princess smoothly moved in between the rails around Puss. "It is, but I enjoy it," she replied simply, settling down in a sitting position. "I understand you've come to protect my lady, is that right?" Princess asked, changing the subject.

Puss nodded. "That is correct, bodyguarding to be exact. Why did you want to know?" he shot back calmly.

"Because I am grateful for your support," she insisted, "no one so far has volunteered to become a bodyguard, and you arrived right in the nick of time to help my lady. For that, I have all the more reason to be appreciative of your brave actions, thank you."

Puss bowed in respect and grinned. "But of course, I would do anything for the Queen of Spain, and the Queen's royal pet," he added charmingly, smiling again.

Princess looked away and blushed a little. Another good sign for Puss.

"The Queen's _servant_, you mean," she corrected him.

Actually, a bad sign for Puss.

He sighed with discouragement, and facepalmed for real this time. "I apologize, that was rude and-"

"It's okay," Princess interrupted with another smile, "I know your trying to flirt with me."

"What?" Puss asked in complete denial, trying his best to sound serious. "What makes you think that I'm doing that?"

With a smug expression on her face, she said, "You know, you're a terrible lier, I must say."

Puss tried to come up with something else to say, but all that ended coming out of his mouth was a sigh of defeat. "I'm sorry."

"What's there to be sorry for?" Princess asked calmly, shrugging her shoulders, "it's okay, I understand."

An awkward silence crossed over them both, before either of could actually come up with something else to say.

"So tell me… why are you really here, Puss in Boots?" she asked curiously, clearly trying to forget about what he'd been trying to do before.

Puss tried the same response he'd used on the Queen. "To earn something that I've wanted for a while." Puss looked away from her to hide the pained look on his face, pretending to look like he was staring at the paintings on the wall.

But Princess didn't look convinced. She studied his expression as if he were an open book, reading the words directly off of his face.

"That's not the only reason, is it?" She asked softly.

She circled around him briefly, letting her tail brush across his nose as a sign of fondness.

Puss hesitated, trying to figure out how to respond, or what to say, only to come up blank. Then- just like that, he opened his book up.

"I- I came here because I lost something," Puss blurted out, his voice faltering near the end.

Princess raised an eyebrow. "Or someone, you mean?"

Puss nodded in confirmation. "Yes."

She bowed her head in a mournful way, as if suddenly feel guilty of asking. "I'm so sorry. I know what's it's like to deal with someone dying like that-"

"No, it is not like that, I did not lose anyone physically," Puss interrupted. "What I meant to say, was that Puss in Boots, lost the love of someone he cared about dearly." He turned his head away again in pain at the subject. _And that person was Cloud. _His eyes nearly watered at the thought, but he held the tears back. "My mate," Puss added quickly.

Princess looked taken back by the word, "mate." She padded forward and nuzzled him lightly with the tip of her nose.

"That must've been very hard on you. You have my sympathies," she said quietly.

Puss looked back up to meet her eyes. "It was," he admitted, "I just wanted to find a way to get away from it, you know? I didn't want to have to deal with it all, and had enough of tackling the troubles of life, you see."

Princess seemed puzzled at the way he worded his sentence, but she cocked her head again to the side, realizing what he had meant by that.

"I know exactly what you mean," she insisted, inching a little closer to him. Their faces nearly touched, and Puss felt his heart beat faster than normal. But instead of doing what Puss thought she was going to do, she simply leaned past his face. "I lost someone too," she whispered into his ear, her expression just as pained as his, as she brought her head back.

"What happened to your mate?" Puss dared to ask.

Princess gazed into his eyes uncertainly, clearly just as nervous to talk about it as he'd been to talk about his. "He was-"

"Excuse me senor gato!"

A voice interrupted their conversation from below. Puss looked down to find the messenger boy standing on the red carpet below him. "Hey, yeah you, senor Puss in Boots!" he repeated.

Puss rolled his eyes sarcastically. "Yes, that is me."

"I don't mean to be rude senor, but Queen Isabella requests your presence," the messenger boy told him.

"Is the matter urgent?" Puss asked.

"Afraid so," he replied simply.

Puss sighed in distress. "Alright then, I am on my way in just a second," he replied.

With that, the messenger bowed in respect, readjusted his small hat, and ran out the door swiftly.

The ginger feline leaped down from the balcony and glanced back to the gorgeous golden cat above him. He smiled seductively, as so did she in return, warming his fur, and making himself purr. "I shall see you the following day then, senorita?" he said aloud.

Princess nodded, still continuing to smile at him. "Of course. Buenos Tardes to you senor!" She said in a cheery tone, as Puss raced out of the royal hallway.

Little did he know, she'd blown him a big kiss, right after he'd left.

* * *

**Apologize for the lateness of this chapter. :( I have been suffering from writer's block for a few weeks on this story, but today I managed to work up the will to created the remainder of this chapter. I had a little trouble with creating this one, mainly because this is a fast paced story, meaning things happen quick, and change in the blink of an eye, but I hope you all liked it. **

**Please don't forget to share your thoughts and review!**

**Chapter 19 preview: Puss is picked for the bodyguarding task, soon after meeting with an old enemy of Puss' late teen-hood:_ The Commander of the Guard_, to help devise a plan to stage to Queen's meeting. Meanwhile, Puss realizes how fast he's gained affection for Princess. **


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